Sunday, December 21, 2014, would
remain evergreen in the minds of inmates
and officials of the Kirikiri Maximum
Security Prison, Apapa, Lagos. It was the
day the General Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A.
Adeboye, called at the facility and made
prophetic declaration of hopes to the
inmates and officials of the prison. Some
donations were also made to the inmates.
Like the biblical Balm of Gilead, the
prophetic words of encouragement that
were uttered to inmates by the respected
man of God could be said to be fully
comforting and emotionally soothing.
Some prison officials, who pleaded
anonymity, confessed to the reporter: “It
was a calm moment today as ever, being
under Daddy G.O. Every hurting inmate
got some relief, including other
participants like us.”
Upon arrival at the facility, Pastor
Adeboye was welcomed by a team of top
prison officials, including the Deputy
Controller of Prison, M.O.O. Olaniran, as
well as the accompanying pastorate of the
RCCG. The man of God thereafter
proceeded to the commissioning of solar
lights, as part of activities that marked the
2014 Kirikiri Maximum Prison’s end-of
the-year service.
Pastor Adeboye was similarly welcomed
to the church service by Pastor-in-charge
of Liberty Church, Tunwashe Kabiru, who
appreciated the kindness and
philanthropy of Pastor Adeboye over the
years to the prison service. He listed some
of Pastor Adeboye ‘s kind gestures to
include the renovation and equipment of
the National Open University of Nigeria
(NOUN) building in 2010, payment of the
tuition of ten of NOUN students since
2011 as well as the renovation with full
equipment of the computer class in 2012,
among other laudable acts of
philanthropy.
Pastor Kabiru stated further that the
sermons and weekly visitations to RCCG
parishes by Pastor Adeboye are really
causing a dramatic positively turnarounds
in the lives of many physically and
spiritually. asserting that, like Oliver
Twist, “we need more.”
Pastor Kabiru listed a number of other
requests to the revered man of God,
including a plea for the renovation and
re-equipment of vocational workshops,
especially in the tailoring, shoe making
and carpentry departments.
He explained further: “An inmate who
sustained a fracture on his leg while
playing football on the field, requires a
surgical operation that would cost about
N300,000. We need your help Baba to do
this.
“Above all, uppermost in the heart of
every inmate is freedom. We therefore
plead that you solicit on our behalf to the
state governors, especially the South-
West governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo,
Osun Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and others, most
especially for the condemned convicts.
“Once again, we desire that this event
comes up annually, rather than once in
two years,” the pastor pleaded.
While listening to testimonies of some
inmates, the attentive congregation
appeared quite sober in apparent
reflection. While some members of the
congregation shook their heads in pity,
some others kept mouths agape,
obviously unable to conceal their utter
shock, especially on the fate of some
inmates that had spent many years
awaiting trial.
A good-looking and well-dressed inmate,
identified simply as John, (other names
withheld by us) who shared his story
while giving his testimony said: “Since I
have been in this confinement, no family
member has checked on me. I have been
abandoned to my fate. I’m glad for
meeting good parenthood in our fathers
and mothers here.”
Another inmate, David (other names
withheld by us) equally narrated his story.
He stated: “I have been in detention here
since 2010. For four years, I was not
tried, until recently. Then I was sentenced
to a three-year jail term. I’m glad because
my mother and wife have stood by me,
and have encouraged me to keep on, as
three years is not so much a long
duration again, having waited for some
four years.”
In his reaction, Pastor E.A. Adeboye said
all the requests made by the inmates
through the pastor in charge of Liberty
Church, had been granted and would be
sorted in due course. He spoke on the
inmate that had been in detention for four
years, and promised that the RCCG legal
unit would look into the issue to
determine if his detention of four years
had not covered for his three-year
sentence.
The General Overseer recollected some of
his efforts over the years in pleading on
behalf of the inmates, especially convicted
inmates. He said: “Some time ago when I
was here, I was touched by a young
man’s story. The young man had slapped
his friend during an argument, resulting in
the friend’s death. For this reason, he was
arrested and detained for 27 years
without trial.
“The man had told me then: “Because
execution is done at the early hour of the
day, I had waited till 4.00am every
morning before sleeping to be sure it was
not my turn. I waited for 27 years.’ I could
not imagine the trauma this man must
have passed through awaiting his turn for
death for 27 years. Because of this, I
spoke with the then President Obasanjo,
who directed me to the former governor,
Tinubu, who also directed me to the Chief
Judge. Eventually, something was done I
believe. Same way, we will not relent in
interceding and pleading on your behalf
before the authorities,” Pastor Adeboye
assured.
The RCCG General Overseer charged the
inmates to put all their trust in God only,
as humans could fail anytime. “The friend
you call your friend is not really your
friend until you get into real trouble. Only
God will not abandon you,” he noted.
He congratulated the inmates whose lives
had witnessed redemption. He
emphasised that “there are many
prisoners out there. I know a number of
rich men who cannot sleep in the night,
and who cannot share their stories with
anyone. Hence, they are imprisoned
within.
A popular chorus: You don’t have to
worry, you don’t have to fear… was
rendered by the RCCG choir during the
event, even as some members of the
congregation shed tears as the song was
being sung.
