Tunji-Ojo promotes sports, skills for inmates’ rehabilitation

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ADO-EKITI, Nigeria (NPA) — The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to using sports and skills acquisition to support the rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration of inmates into society.

Tunji-Ojo, represented by his Special Adviser on Correctional Reforms, DCC Babatunde Ogundare, stated this during a sports competition organised for inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The Minister said recreational activities remained an important component of efforts to reform inmates and prepare them for productive lives after incarceration.

According to a statement by Babalola Foluso (CSC), Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, the competition featured football, volleyball, table tennis, ludo and other sporting activities aimed at promoting physical fitness, teamwork, discipline and positive social interaction among inmates.

Tunji-Ojo said the Federal Government was committed to transforming custodial centres from places of mere confinement into facilities where inmates could acquire skills, develop their talents and prepare for productive lives after serving their sentences.

He noted that sports could help discover and nurture talents among inmates while promoting discipline, confidence and a sense of responsibility.

The Minister stressed that keeping inmates engaged in constructive and productive activities was an important part of the rehabilitation process and would help them make better choices and contribute meaningfully to society upon their release.

He said the Nigerian Correctional Service was not only concerned with keeping inmates in custody but was also committed to rehabilitating and equipping them with skills that would enable them to make better choices when they return to society.

“We are not just rehabilitating. We are also equipping the inmates with skills that would give them the second chance to correct the mistakes they made when they go back to society,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo also donated prizes for the competition, which were presented to winners in the men’s and women’s sporting categories, including volleyball, table tennis and other events, as well as outstanding football players.

The competition culminated in a keenly contested football final between Chiefs FC and General FC, which ended 2-2 at regulation time before General FC emerged champions after winning 5-3 on penalties.

Chiefs FC finished second, while Senior Boys FC placed third.

As part of the prizes donated by the Minister, General FC received N100,000, Chiefs FC received N50,000, while Senior Boys FC received N25,000.

Awards and prizes were also presented to outstanding participants in other sporting categories.

Speaking on the initiative, the Officer in Charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ado-Ekiti, ACC Olutope Amele, said the programmes were designed to discover talents among inmates and provide opportunities for them to develop those talents.

He stressed that keeping inmates engaged in productive activities was essential to their rehabilitation and assured that the Ekiti State Command remained committed to ensuring that inmates left the facility as better individuals capable of contributing meaningfully to society.

Amele thanked Tunji-Ojo for supporting the competition and donating prizes to the winners, describing the gesture as a demonstration of the Minister’s commitment to motivating inmates and promoting their rehabilitation.

He said the cash prizes and other awards would encourage inmates to participate actively in sporting and other rehabilitation programmes, adding that recognition of their efforts could boost their confidence and give them a sense of belonging.

Speaking on behalf of the State Controller, Amele also appreciated the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, CG Sylvester Nwakuche, MFR, mni, for his commitment to the welfare, reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.

He noted that the Service, under Nwakuche’s leadership, had continued to encourage initiatives aimed at transforming the lives of persons in custodial facilities.

Amele also commended the Ekiti State Command, led by the State Controller, CC Ade Bukola Ajeleti, for creating an enabling environment for sporting and other rehabilitation programmes at the facility.

He praised the inmates for their sportsmanship and commitment to the competition, saying they gave their best throughout the games.

Officials of the Correctional Service described the event as part of broader efforts to keep inmates engaged in constructive activities while they undergo rehabilitation and prepare for eventual reintegration into society.

Also present at the event were Dr Abe Segun David of the Faculty of Law, Ekiti State University, his wife, Mrs Abe Abayomi Wumi, and a representative of the Nigerian Tribune.