Freedom sought for inmates of 19 years at correctional facility in Adamawa

.. as Catholic priest shares Xmas gifts for inmates

Ben Cham, Assistant Comptroller at the Yolde Pate Correctional Facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Yola, Adamawa State has pleaded with both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State to use their Perogative of Mercy to pardon and free inmates that have stayed for as long as 19 to 24 years in the facility.

Cham, who was obviously seeking pardon and freedom for some inmates that had stayed for as long as 24, 22 and 19 years in the facility, was making the passionate and compassionate appeals to both President Tinubu and Governor Fintiri ad part of efforts targeted at reducing increasing population of inmates in prison and overcrowded correctional facilities across the Country.

The Assistant Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) stated this during Christmas Celebration organised for the inmates by Stephen Dami Mamza, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese, Yola In Adamawa State where varied items and daily need provisions were distributed to the inmates.
BusinessDay reports that Mamza gavs the Correctional facility a variety of items, including 672 foot wears, 180 pieces of izal disinfectant bottles, 40 pieces of mats, 1,080 vaseline, 720 bathing soaps and medications for different treatments, which he considered as the immediate and must important needs of the inmates after consultations.

But, addressing the inmates, the Bishop admonished them to keep their faith alive with the hope of reuniting with their families and society someday, saying: “Some of you might have happened to find yourself here due to an offence commited while some are innocently or by error have found yourself in the correctional facility

“My message to you is to change and repent from your wrong doings, become a better version of yourself and be good ambassadors.

“We recognise that inmates are often stigmatized and marginalized. Our goal is to show them that they are not forgotten and that we care about their well-being and rehabilitation.”

He howver assured the inmates of the completion of the Catholic Chapel building project he started sometimes ago in no time to enable the inmates have a befitting place of worship.