By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
The Wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Uzoamaka Nwifuru, has secured the freedom of 25 inmates as part of efforts to decongest correctional centres and strengthen the justice delivery system in the state.
The exercise was sponsored by Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons (BERWO), in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice.
Speaking at the event held on Monday in Abakaliki, Mrs. Nwifuru said the initiative was aimed at promoting mercy, rehabilitation and restoration within the justice system.
She described the occasion as deeply emotional and meaningful, stressing that no life is beyond redemption.
“This initiative was founded on a simple but powerful belief that justice must be tempered with mercy, and correction must lead to restoration,” she said.
Mrs. Nwifuru noted that behind the walls of correctional facilities are individuals who, despite past mistakes, still possess dreams, skills and the desire to live productive lives.
“Today, 25 of such individuals are stepping out not just into freedom, but into hope, responsibility and a new beginning,” she added.
She pledged to continue advocating rehabilitation over rejection, noting that true correction is achieved when freed inmates are empowered with the tools to rebuild their lives.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ben Odoh, commended the First Lady for her magnanimity and urged the beneficiaries to embrace their new lives responsibly.
Odoh disclosed that a correctional facility built to accommodate 387 inmates currently houses 1,018 persons, while the Abakaliki and Afikpo correctional centres together hold a total of 1,205 inmates.
Also speaking, the Controller of the Correctional Centre, Mr. Chika Igwugwu, thanked Mrs. Nwifuru for the intervention and encouraged her to sustain the initiative.