A worship centre based in Abuja, Faith Hill Prophetic Assembly, has secured the release of five inmates at the Lafia Prisons by paying fines attached to their jail sentences.
Head of the church, Bishop Emmanuel Musa-Jatau, who visited the prisons, on Friday, said that the gesture was part of efforts toward reaching out to the under-privileged in the society.
Musa-Jatau, who was received by the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, encouraged the inmates not to give up on themselves.
The bishop’s visit was part of activities he had lined up to mark his 54th birthday.
He urged the inmates to take advantage of all opportunities at the prison to acquire skills that would make them self reliant and employable at the end of their jail terms.
Musa-Jatau also urged members of the public not to neglect the prison inmates, adding that great talents and potential were waiting to be tapped among them, given the necessary support.
The cleric maintained that the church had been partnering with the prison fellowship over the years and would continue to do the needful to make meaningful impact on lives of the inmates.
He also called on the prison authorities to identify areas of skills development required by the inmates so that the church could assist.
The bishop also promised to renovate the prisons chapel and mosque, while encouraging all inmates to be committed in worshiping God and live in harmony.
In his remarks, the controller of prisons in Nasarawa State, Mr. Ekwere Ekanem, commended the bishop for the gesture and prayed God to reward him.
He recalled that apart from some assistance the church had offered to inmates, it also built the existing chapel at the Lafia prison.
Ekanem urged other well to do individuals in the society to emulate the bishop by coming to the aid of inmates in whatever way they could.
He noted that such gesture would also help in decongesting prisons across the country, as many inmates were languishing in prison over their inability to pay fine options.
Also speaking, Pastor Wilson Kingsley, the State Coordinator of the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, advised other churches to key into the fellowship in order to help transform the lives of inmates before being reintegrated into the society.
The bishop also donated food items, toiletries, bibles and sporting equipment to the inmates. (NAN)