Bishop secures release of 25 Prisoners

The Bishop, Diocese of Kaduna Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Josiah Idowu-fearon, yesterday secured the release of 25 prison inmates from Kaduna Central Prison as part of activities marking his 25th anniversary as Bishop of Anglican Communion.

Responding to questions from newsmen who accompanied him to the prison shortly after securing the inmates’ freedom, Bishop Idowu-Fearon said a total of 25 inmates with minor offences who could not pay their fine options of N10,000.00 each will eventually be released.

However, the lucky inmates were not released immediately because according to the Deputy Comptroller –In- Charge, Kaduna Central Prison, Yunusa Ibraheem, "€œCourts are on strike, so they have to wait until the courts call off the strike to enable us complete the necessary procedures in releasing them"€.

Bishop Idowu-Fearon further explained that, “The diocese of Kaduna Anglican Communion decided to celebrate my 25th year as Bishop in the Church of God, Anglican Communion.

As part of the celebration, we have to come to Kaduna Prison where we have a ministry, and we are partnering with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in giving IT education to the inmates.

And on getting to the prison, the staff gave us a surprise by putting up a novelty football match. between the staff and the inmates, and also by giving us the opportunity to worship together with the inmates.

So for us it is a special treat, not for the inmates, but for us, we really appreciate and we feel honoured.

The committee decided to pay the fines of N10,000.00 each for 25 inmates with minor offences so that they will be able to regain their freedom.

€œWe were able to pay N250,000.00 in total for the 25 of them, but since courts are still on strike, the processes of releasing them cannot be completed, so as soon as the courts call off the strike, these inmates will be able to regain their freedom.

We want to be releasing inmates every year because as men and women of God, that is our job. These inmates are of minor offences.

My charge to them is for them to put into practice the discipline that has been instilled in them in the prison, and also some of the skills they have acquired like tailoring, car washing, carpentry etc, they should make use of them judiciously.

€œWe hope to assist some of them with equipment like sewing machines so that the freedom they will secure will be of great benefit to them without staying idle.

He however charged the inmates while awaiting their freedom not to ever engage in the act that brought them to the prison, charging them to be of good behaviour and engage themselves in activities that will better their lives, that of their families and the country at large.