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| Lagos West NYCN coordinators at Awhajigoh correctional center |
The National Youth Council of Lagos West Senatorial District has visited the Kirikiri and Awhajigoh correctional centres to donate household and food items as part of the welfare support scheme of NCN youths in the senatorial district.
At the visit to Awhanjigoh Correctional Centre on Friday, the team looked into how to help inmates with minor cases and donating items, which include soaps, cloths, rice, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and more.
Aladeotan David, the NYCN vice chairman Lagos West, said the youth council thought of the need to balance youth welfare by extending support to youths without freedom. and also looking into reasons why lots of youths are in the correctional centres so as to embark on awareness programs to curb practices that lead to crime.
"This is to ensure you are all living well; that is why we are here today. to bring messages of hope and happiness, Aladeotan told the inmate.
"As young people, we should have hope in this country and justify all forms of crime and corruption and every act of criminality, holding on to any vocation until they reach their desired destination," Aladeotan said.
Comr. Adetunji, the NYCN coordinator Orile Agage local branch and the chairman of the visitation panel, said the VC West, has partnered with organisations to free inmates that have minor cases and also to empower them, which will benefit them and their families. "It is always good to be a good citizen and a law-abiding citizen so that people can learn from our attitude, and our youths should make sure they don't engage in any unlawful activity."
Gbowhe Gabreiel, the coordinator NYCN Badagry said, It is when freedom is absent that we know the importance of freedom, "when you still have your freedom, you don't know what others who don't have it are going through. There is a need to make sure we compose ourselves to protect our name and the name of our families."
ACC Akin Ogunajo, the commanding officer in charge of Awhajigoh correctional centre, described the visit as timely and urged other NGOs and stakeholders to do more for the facility to make sure the facility achieves its purpose of correcting the ills of the inmates, stating that technical tools are needed for the vocational inmates, literacy classes are needed for the inmates, and resuscitating the spoilt official vehicles.
Mika Iliasu, an inmate who shared how he got to the correctional centre, said he was a coconut dealer from Ivory Coast who came to Seme border to meet a business partner who was not pleased with the business transaction, leading to his arrest, and he has been in the correctional centre for 15 months without a court judgement.