Woli Arole laments high number of awaiting trial inmates

Founder of Friends’ Fellowship International, Oluwatoyin Bayegun, has said about 1,200 inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, were on awaiting trials.

Bayegun, famously called Woli Arole, stated this while speaking with Saturday PUNCH shortly after donating different items to the inmates on Thursday.

He lamented that the situation at the correctional centres across the country was pathetic, calling on the Federal Government to address the plights of the inmates and the facilities critically.

He said, “One thing that is so germane in our heart is the fact that everybody deserves hope, love and happiness. Our assignment is to make sure that we reach out to both the inmates and those who are taking care of them. Their care and well-being are very important.

“We are here to see how we can be of impact to the society beyond the teaching and the preaching and also to spread love and hope to every inmate. We are going to be doing it across Nigeria and even if possible out of the nation.

“We have 1,200 awaiting trials, and one thing that our initiative (Hope Beyond Walls) is going to do is to pay lawyers and make sure they bail inmates who are bailable. Everything is free. We just make sure that we do everything the way it ought to be done.”