The Chairman, Springtime Development Foundation, Dr. Deji Adeleke, has secured the release of about 200 inmates of the Ilesa Prison in Osun State.
The Vice-Chairman of the foundation, Mr. Banji Adesuyi, said this at the Ilesa Prison on Tuesday when the group was donating 700 mattresses and the same number of pillows to the inmates.
Adesuyi said Adeleke became aware that inmates of the prison were sleeping on the bare floor when he went to pay a visit to an embattled chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Diekola Oyedele, who was detained at the prison.
He explained that the foundation paid for the release of inmates, who were incarcerated because they could not pay fines as low as N5,000, stressing that the foundation did not secure the release of any inmate convicted because of crime.
Adesuyi said Adeleke was not prompted to secure the release of the inmates because of political reason but purely on humanitarian ground.
According to him, the foundation will not limit the gesture to Ilesa Prison, stating that it will soon extend the same gesture to Ile-Ife Prison before moving outside the state.
The foundation’s chairman said that the organisation would ensure that inmates were introduced to computer literacy, tailoring and woodwork in order to make them useful members of the society even after completing their jail terms.
Adesuyi said,
“ Dr. Deji Adeleke paid for the release of over 200 inmates last week when he came to visit a prominent politician, who was detained at the prison.
“A woman was detained with her baby because she could not pay a debt of N65,000, he ( Adeleke) paid the debt, the woman was released and he also gave her another N100,000 to start another trade.”
The Managing Director of the foundation, Samuel Oyalabu, said Adeleke’s gesture should spur other Nigerians to do the little they could to alleviate the suffering of the poor.
One of the inmates, Ekene Madunagwu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, expressed appreciation to Adeleke.
