The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), as of yesterday, recalls the need for more investment in the Nigerian judicial system for the current jail reforms. Daniel Archibong, a wrongfully accused person,
has claimed that he was freed from the Kirikikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos after serving nine years as a detainee for trial.
In order to ensure that accused people are given a fair trial in a timely manner, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, whose outreach made Archibong’s release possible, called for reforming the country’s jail system.
The request was made in the Redemption Camp in Mowe, Ogun, during the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry’s fifth annual conference.
During the meeting, Archibong told the story of how he spent nine years in prison due to what he described as a malicious accusation of defilement.
‘On September 17, I was traveling to work. In 2015, I was uninformed about the accusation that I had pierced a minor’s privates with my finger, but my family was in the village, and I had no legal representation.’
In 2012, I got into an altercation with the minor’s father and a few of my business rivals. Being a member of the paramilitary group Man-o-War, the complainant had a penchant for intimidating others.
‘I started producing money in 2015, and I used that money to create a profitable business with an estimated N500,000 in capital. They chose to accuse me of being unfaithful (defilement) at the police station after observing my changes in financial standing, most likely out of revenge. I had the choice to offer them N300,000, so The matter wouldn’t be pursued further and brought before a judge.
Archibong conveyed his dissatisfaction with the Nigerian Police Force, claiming that they handled his case in an unprofessional manner.
‘I was recently found not guilty at the Ikeja High Court.’ The RCCG team provided financial, moral, and spiritual assistance during my incarceration. Upon my release from prison, I was unable to locate any of my possessions. I work as a salesboy for someone, but I’m still seeking for a job,’ he declared.
The volunteers’ main topic of conversation during the occasion was the demand for speedy trials for inmates in correctional facilities, and Oladele Balogun, the Special Advisor (Admin) to the General Overseer, also made this request. reform in the nation’s legal system.
Balogun added that those who have suffered from injustice and are awaiting trial can also receive legal aid support from the church.
‘Many innocent people are incarcerated despite their innocence. Even within the church, we are fighting for the establishment of a reasonable justice system in our nation, one that punishes only violators.’
‘We implore the administration to make sure that no one is imprisoned who is not guilty.’ We have a legal department in the RCCG, and we are willing to help any innocent person who needs legal representation as long as they are telling the truth, the officer stated.
Ben-Rabbi Freedman, the Controller of Correctional Service at Lagos State Command, voiced concerns about prisoners who were awaiting One of the things that leads to overcrowding in prisons is trial, including individuals who require legal counsel, and this can lead to several fatalities.
‘There is a problem when seventy percent of prisoners in Nigerian correctional facilities are awaiting trial. While there are legal aid programs for the poor,’ including as support from non-governmental organizations and the RCCG, this is insufficient for some of the prisoners who lack legal counsel.
‘Serious attention to the criminal justice system is desperately needed.’ The police and the judiciary both have institutional weaknesses, according to Freedman.
‘Ariyo Popoola, the National Chairman of the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry, further said that N69,764,505 was utilized for the provision of humanitarian assistance to 14,594 inmates and hospital recipients from the church will be closed from May 2023 to April 2024.’
