21 inmates of Bauchi Correctional Centre get reprieve as Rotary, HTTC, ASHH Foundation, Alwadata pay fines

Group photograph of the inmates

Reprieve came the way of Twenty-One inmates including one woman of the Bauchi Correctional as the Rotary Club of Bauchi Central on Saturday led other organizations to secured their release.

The Organizations led by Rotary Club of Bauchi Central also donated some items to the entire inmates of Centre and also counseled  them not to lose hope of regaining freedom and becoming useful members of the society.

The other organisations on the visit were Heart That Truly Cares (HTTC), Alwadata Lifeline Initiative (ALLI) and Atta Sisters Helping Hand (ASHH) Foundation.

The Coalition paid various sums as fines for all 21 inmates who were convicted for various minor offences but could not afford to pay the option of fines given by the Courts.

Speaking shortly after presentation of the items, President of Rotary Club of Bauchi Central, Rotarian Pam Dauda said that the Rotary Club collaborated with the NGOs in order to achieve the set objectives.

He stressed that Rotary Club as humanitarian organization is interested in the wellbeing and peace of the people the more reason it collaborates with like minded organisations to better the lives of the people.

Pam Dauda explained that the partnership was able to raise the amount spent for the payment of the fines as well as the purchase of the items donated to the inmates.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Heart That Truly Cares (HTTC), Josephine ibinola said that, “As Rotarians, our resolve is to make life better for all manner of people.”

According to her, “We discovered during our visits before today that some of the inmates can become better people outside the walls of the Correctional house, we then decided to pay the various fines for 21 of them.”

Josephine Ibinola added that, “We spent over N700,000 to settle the fines aside from the other items we brought for them, at least to make life in the Correctional center bearable for them.”

She added that, the collaboration was easier because all of them are Rotarians so it was very easy for them to bond together in the service of humanity which is the cardinal service of Rotary Club all over the world.

Winifred Robinson is the Executive Director of Alwadata Lifeline Initiative (ALLI) which was part of the collaboration aimed at bringing succour to the inmates.

She stressed that her NGO contributed disposable sanitary pads for use by the female inmates considering the condition they found themselves in which may make it difficult for them to get such pads during their monthly flow.

She stressed that it is part of their fundamental human rights inspite of being in a Correctional centre where her movement and liberty has been restricted.

Winifred Robinson added that as a female, the need for hygiene during the monthly flow cannot be overemphasized, the more reason her NGO supported the initiative to visit the Centre.

The items donated to the inmates based on the needs assessment conducted included religious books, copies of Qur’an, Bibles and other devotionals, eating plates, rubber buckets, mats, clothings, packets of Maggi, sanitary pads and food items.

Some of the freed inmates expressed appreciation to Rotary, HTTC and ALLI for coming to their aid at the most precious time in their lives saying that with the intervention, they would have been left to serve out their various sentences.