NNPP chieftain facilitates release of 4 inmates in Ogun
By Stephen Gbadamosi
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ogun State, Olufemi Ajadi, has extended a helping hand to four individuals incarcerated at the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Ajadi’s act of compassion, according to a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, saw the release of the convicts who were eligible for fine. They are Damilola Opebi, Oyebolu Shina, Dare Lawal and Oluwasegun Ayobami.
Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, who is the gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP in Ogun State in the 2023 general elections, has, by this gesture, stirred both appreciation and controversy within the community and the political landscape.
Some residents said the act marked a unique instance where a political figure, particularly a gubernatorial candidate, had directly intervened in the lives of individuals entangled in the criminal justice system.
The four convicts had been serving sentences in the Ibara Correctional Centre and awaiting the legal processes that could potentially grant them their freedom.
Ajadi, who had been told by his legal team, led by Isaac Dale Izunya, about the issues facing the criminal justice system, took it upon himself to ensure that these individuals were not left languishing in incarceration, due to their inability to pay fines.
“I am not an advocate of criminal and illegal activities; but I believe that the penalties for the less criminal offenders could be paid for after the wrongdoers have sobered and promised to desist from such crimes,” he said.
The move also sparked a debate among Ogun State residents and political observers, as some applaud Ajadi for his empathy and willingness to address the challenges within the correctional system, while others questioned the motivation behind this act, a development his admirers said was suggestive of “political grandstanding in the wake of a closely contested election.”
In a response to the controversy, Ajadi’s legal team, led by Izunya, in the statement on Sunday, emphasised their client’s commitment to criminal justice reform and a fairer legal system.
Izunya asserted that this gesture was an embodiment of Ajadi’s vision for a more just and compassionate society, irrespective of political considerations.
“The bailing of the four convicts by Olufemi Ajadi has undoubtedly added a new dimension to the political landscape in Ogun State,” he said.
While the convicts were being interrogated by journalists at the point of their release at the weekend, Opebi, who is a generating set repairer, said he found himself behind bars for an unexpected reason of buying a stolen phone.
“I want to engage myself now in a monthly paying job, so that I will be a sponsor to my musical talent,” he said.
Shina, a fashion designer, who temporarily set aside his creative pursuits to work as a receiving clerk in a supermarket in Ota, said his time there led to incarceration, due to some missing goods.
“I was jailed because some goods under my watch got missing; I wish Olufemi Ajadi a successful outcome in all his endeavors for paying for my fine,” he said.
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Also, Lawal, a motorcycle rider, faced a difficult choice when he stole someone else’s house rooftop to sell and raise money to repair his dilapidated motorcycle. After serving time behind bars, he emerged with a heartfelt promise to the Nigerian community, saying “I have been to jail; and Ajadi has paid my fine to be released. I promise Nigerians that I won’t engage in nefarious activities anymore.”
Ayobami, who is a truck driver, found himself ensnared by circumstances when he stood as a guarantor for his friend, simply identified as Muse, who absconded with a motorcycle meant to be paid for in installments.
He said he was arrested on July 10 and sentenced to two-year imprisonment, adding that Ajadi’s kind gesture had reversed the jail term.
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