Group secures 5 inmates’ release from Suleja prison

By John Oba

Abuja

It was a cheerful moments for five young prison inmates yesterday when the Kenotay250Project, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) secured their release at the Suleja Prison in Niger state.
The project also took four new cases on pro-bono in line with its #FreedomFriday initiative which takes place every month.
Paying the fine for the inmates, the founder, Barr. Kehinde Odunlami, said the exercise was part of the initiative of her Law firm to encourage Nigerians to spend 250 hours every year to engage in humanitarian services they love most.
“In spite of the establishment of the Legal Aid Council, the poor and indigent in society still find access to justice inaccessible, therefore undermining our entire justice system and thwarting a very fundamental right. In 2016, my Law Firm Kenotay & Co. launched the Kenotay250project.
“We challenge our staff and partners to invest 250 hours a year volunteering for causes that matter to them.
“As legal professionals, the most useful contribution we can make to the society is to use our knowledge and expertise to make meaningful impact on the lives of the less privileged by providing access to rights, services and justice.
“All Pro- bono work that we undertake is handled like any other billable matter, with the dedication of all available firm resources appropriate to the needs of the representation.
“The #FreedomFriday is one of the activities we have under the project. Every month, our lawyers visit a prison, and pay the fines of the young adults that meet our eligibility requirement and whose incarceration is as a result of not been able to pay the fine imposed by the courts,” she said.
She also encouraged Magistrates and Judges to strongly consider non-custodial sentences which is an unpaid community service for minor offences and first time offenders.

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