Sen. Kalu Speaks On Why Few Prison Inmates Desire Live Imprisonment

By Charity Uwakwe

The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a presidential aspirant of the 2023 general elections says a few Inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kuje, FCT, Abuja have resorted to spending their entire lives at the prison.

Senator Kalu who described prison as a “deep world”, expressed utter shock that many inmates find the facility very comfy and as such would prefer to spend their lifetime in confinement other than gaining their liberty.

Kalu disclosed this while narrating his experience as put in appearance at the Correctional Centre.

“However,  I also noticed there are a  few who do not want to leave the prison.  For reasons best known to them , they feel much more comfortable spending their entire lives in prison . It’s a deep world.”

Among other things, Kalu who represents the good people of Abia North Senatorial District, expressed regrets over the overcrowding state of the cells, pledged to commence the building of a new cell in order to enhance ventilation.

He said: “By 2022, we will commence the building of a new cell to decongest the already congested prison.”

Read his words in detail:

My Prison Apostolate –Kalu

As part of my covenant with God to encourage and support the mental wellbeing of those in detention, I have been visiting and spending time with them and today is one of those days.  

Since I became an adult and as long as I can remember, there have been two occasions I wept and couldn’t hold back. The first was the day Igbos were deported from Lagos to Onitsha. After my reaction to the unceremonious event,  I questioned the humanity in this country and the embarrassment attached. I never foresaw that such could ever happen in my lifetime.

The second was when I was at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja. Somehow, one young man (name withheld) approached me and sought an audience which I granted. He told me a pathetic story of how he found himself in prison. He is the only child of his parents and his father was also imprisoned. That night, I prayed and thanked God for encountering him. I didn’t need anyone to tell me it was a set up for his family. After my intervention by engaging the services of a lawyer, himself and his father were freed. May God bless him.  

With God’s grace , I was able to secure the release of not less than 100 inmates who were in detention because they couldn’t afford a lawyer or bail. My stay in Kuje actually gave me an opportunity to see the deepest and lowest ebb of the downtrodden.  While many in detention are guilty of one crime or the other, there are several others who are languishing in detention because they could not fulfill the requirements of the law to be freed. They just needed little intervention and I am grateful to God for using me. However,  I also noticed there are a  few who do not want to leave the prison.  For reasons best known to them , they feel much more comfortable spending their entire lives in prison . It’s a deep world .

As I visited the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje today in compliments of the season,  I ate, drank and shared jokes with a few. Among other interventions in the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, I am very happy that the solar power project I sponsored has helped the prison with 24 hour power supply. 

By 2022,  we will commence the building of a new cell to decongest the already congested prison.

I  thank the Comptroller General of the  Nigeria Correctional Service for his commitment and  great improvement in the correctional center 

I also thank the head of the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Center, Kuje, Abuja, and staff for their selflessness and generosity in discharging their duties. 

Wishing everyone merry Christmas in advance!

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu 

OUK

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