Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) has donated relief materials to the inmates of the Nigerian Prisons Services (NPS), Lagos.
The National President of NAOWA, Mrs Ummur Buratai, while donating the materials, remarked that, “It’s traditional that whenever Nigerian Army Day celebration (NADCEL) holds every July 6th, the NAOWA as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) embarks on a charity visit.”
Buratai, represented by the Chairperson NAOWA, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Mrs Amina Yusuf, said that “At this year’s NADCEL, we want to be identified with the inmates in female Kirikiri, Apapa and Ikoyi Prisons.”
The Chairperson said that she was highly impressed at the management of NPS for taking good care of the inmates.
“All the prisons we visited, the environments were clean, the inmates looked healthy; it shows that they were being taken care of; and whatever challenges we will inform our National president, Mrs Buratai.
Mrs. Yusuf, who led the executive members of NAOWA in company of the Deputy Comptroller Prisons (DCP), Ikoyi, Mr Tolu Ogunsakin and DCP Mrs Ekpendu Lizzie of the Female Prisons, Kirikiri, inspected the Skills Acquisition Centres, ICT Centre, Laundry, Carpentry, Tailoring, Electrical, Barbing Salon, among other facilities.
Speaking with the journalists, Ogunsakin said that, “The capacity of Ikoyi Prisons was 800, but now it has been overstretched to 3000.
He said that, “There were minor cases that were not supposed to be taken to prisons… but they were brought here.”
He implored members of NAOWA to pressure their husbands to appeal to the judiciary to reduce the fees charged on cases.
Both Comptrollers expressed profound appreciation for identifying with the inmates, adding that their visit was historical and monumental.
The relief materials included bags of rice, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sanitary pads, toilet soap, Indomie Noodles, detergents, dunlop slippers, among other items.
Other places the NAOWA delegation visited on their charity drive include 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Yaba; Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos Island; Military Hospital, Lagos; 81 Division Medical Services and Hospitals; and 65 Battalion Medical Reception Station.