A non-governmental organisation with a focus on the welfare of prisoners and other vulnerable peoples in Nigeria has advocated the need for individuals and governments to take the welfare of inmates seriously thereby giving them hope.
Leader of the group and national chaplain of Catholic Chaplaincy of the Nigerian Correctional Service Abuja, Rev. Fr Victor Nyoroh, made this know during one of the family outreaches to correctional centres at the old Keffi Minimum Custodial Centre as part of the organisation’s Christmas visit.
Quoting from the Mathew 25:31: ‘When I was in the prison you visited Me’, Fr Nyoroh said this should be the hallmark of wealthy individuals and government agencies in Nigeria to pay more attention to the inmates.
Fr Nyoroh said: “We came here as a family to share food and other valuable items with the inmates because this period of sharing and giving hope to the hopeless”.
He called on individual and groups as part of the annual routine visit prisons to give them a sense belonging because they will join the society after their jail terms.
Nyoroh also called on other spiritual groups and leaders to cultivate the habit of visiting the inmate with a message of repentance and hope for better tomorrow.
He said in line with the scriptures, Christmas season is a period where Christians the world over share love, gifts and joy to one another. A season characterised by merriment, with the knowledge that the Saviour, Jesus Christ is born.
As a result, The Compassionate Family in partnership with the Catholic Chaplaincy of the Nigeria Correctional Service, embarked on a Christmas outreach to the Medium Security Custodial Centre (Old Keffi Prison) where it not only conducted mass for the inmates, but also shared different relief items for them.
Speaking in an interview after the event, the National Chaplain of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Rev. Father Victor Nyoroh maintained that the proper place that Christ’s message could be made concrete in the life of individuals, are those behind bars. He appreciated everyone that has contributed in one way or the other towards the success of the prisons apostolate.
He encouraged individuals, corporate and private organisations to emulate Christ by caring for the least of Jesus’ brothers.
