NIDO celebrates Independence Day with imprisoned Nigerian inmates in Ghana

On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, as Nigeria celebrated its 64th Independence Day, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) Ghana Chapter extended the festivities to Nigerian inmates at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in Accra, Ghana.

The event brought together prominent Nigerians from Ghana including High Chief Calistus, Pastor Prince Olayemi (NIDO Ghana President), Rev. Ebenezer, Dr. Tunji Osho, and Mr. Mayor Igwe, among others.

The community donated various items to both male and female prisoners, including bags of rice, toiletries, packs of water and drinks, cartons of noodles, and sanitary pads. Cash donations were also made.

The visit began with a tour of the male prison, where the Assistant Regional Commander of the Medium Security Prison, Patrick Thomas Seidu, welcomed members of the association. He highlighted the strong relationship between Nigeria and Ghana, noting that Nigerian inmates have consistently shown respect and cooperation, which has helped maintain a peaceful atmosphere within the prison.

“We have lived at peace with the Nigerian inmates. We treat them with dignity as their Ghanaian counterparts, as they are equal before the law," the commander stated.

Following Mr. Seidu's remarks, Austin, an inmate who has spent 24 years in prison, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian community in Ghana for remembering them in their struggles. He shared that some inmates face financial difficulties, especially during critical health crises, which often lead to tragic outcomes. Despite these hardships, Austin remains hopeful that his freedom, and that of others, will come in due time.

NIDO President, Pastor Prince Olayemi, said the purpose of the visit was to connect with the inmates at the Prison. He said they were there to offer them care, support, and love, as well as remind them that there is hope for a better future despite their current situation.

“Today, as members of the diaspora, we have gathered to come to this place to commemorate with them. We know that not everybody in prison are prisoners. We just want them to have a feel that today is October 1st, which is our Independence Day," he said.

"We have over 255 Nigerian inmates in Nsawam prison today. It's sad, but today, we have made sure we feed all of them and tell them there’s a greater tomorrow.”

He further spoke about the strides the association has made in securing the release of some prisoners.

“We are doing tremendous work. Some of them are in prison now, their jail term has lapsed. Some of them don’t even have hope of how to come out of prison. Some of them have the feeling that at this stage, they cannot go back to society. So we have a plan to reintegrate them into society through the head of the NAPTIP, and when we pick them up from here, vehicles convey them. We give them food, shelter, all that," he said.

"It takes some days, weeks to put them back to life. Then, we send them to NAPTIP Nigeria where they reintegrate them before they put them back into society. We know that at least, with the kind of experience they shared in the past, they’ve learned from their mistakes, and we know that the little we’ve been doing, over thousands of Nigerian citizens in Diaspora have been rescued, and we are continuing this cause.”

High Chief Calistus, in his speech, urged the inmates to be hopeful and maintain a high spirit.

He encouraged them to adhere to the laws of Ghana while assuring them that their plea would be sent to President Bola Tinubu for steps to be taken to address the situation.