An inmate of the Enugu Maximum Prison, Ikechukwu Ndubuisi, has called on friends and family members not to forget their wards and friends in prison custody.
Ndubuisi, who has spent 26 years in prison, also said that most inmates seemed to have been abandoned by their respective families, friends and loved ones.
He made this call on Friday in Enugu, when a group, Ogechi Atuonwu Memorial Foundation, visited the prisons.
The inmate said that granted that many inmates were incarcerated due to bad behaviour, they still needed to be loved.
“Many of us are here because of bad company, wayward life, and greed; a lot of us have been abandoned by our families and friends,” he said.
Ndubuisi implored the youth to stay away from any act that could confine them in prison custody, adding that about 80 percent of inmates in prison were youths, who committed various crimes ranging from murder to cultism.
According to him, when you go in there, you find young persons from 18 years and above and even juveniles.
“So I call on the youth to stay away from crimes that will lead to confinement, as prison is not a place to be,” he said.
He, however, expressed delight that many of them had obtained various educational qualifications including degrees, diplomas and vocational skills in prison.
The inmate added that the presence of the National Open University (NOUN) had been a great help to them.
Earlier, the leader of the foundation, Mrs. Maureen Atuonwu, said the visit was part of the group’s activities to assist the needy in memory of her late daughter, Ogechi.
She said that the group also visited cancer patients and also created awareness on cancer and other health-related issues.
Items donated by the foundation included, 100 bags of sachet water, five rolls of toilet tissues and cartons of bar soap.
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