Ogun: Amazing story of Iberekodo leper colony

The story of inmates of a leprosy centre in Ogun state is captivating. OLUFEMI ADEDIRAN writes that the lepers are gradually integrating into the society.

For the inmates of Lepers Colony in Iberekodo, Abeokuta in Ogun state, life has not been fair. The challenges they face every day range from loneliness, stigmatisation, discrimination and insecurity to lack of basic social amenities and generally poverty. Many of them have been living in the colony for as long as they could remember and to that extent have resigned to fate.

The colony houses 31 inmates and a government-owned nursery and primary school while the one located in Ijebu-Igbo also in the state has 28 members.

The school was built by the administration of former Governor Olusegun Osoba for children of the inmates. Today, over 700 pupils attend the school and no longer by children of the inmates but other people.

Inmates share their experiences

For John Ojoawo, a 71-year-old inmate who hails from Iwere-Ile town in Oyo state, life has not been easy but said the interventions of good Samaritans, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the state government, among others, have kept him alive and healthy. Life took a difficult turn for this former instrumentalist when he was transferred to the colony in 1973. 

He said, “Life became so difficult; the future was gloomy and it seemed my life was over. I would have died a long time ago if I had not been transferred here. I was an instrumentalist back in Oyo state where I played guitar and accordion for popular musicians but when I came down with the disease, I could not do those things again.”

Continuing further, he said, “I don’t want to engage in begging, although if I do, people would give me money but I don’t want because God does not support such.

“But I thank God for the government of Ogun state. If there is no such place like this settlement to accommodate people like me, some of us would have died a long time ago. Ever since I have been accommodated here, I have been taking my drugs regularly. The government also assists us with monthly stipends for feeding.” 

Speaking on insecurity challenge in the colony, Ojoawo said, “Our major problem here is lack of security. Many of us live under the fear of armed robbery attack daily. There is no security guard in the colony. In the past when we used to experience frequent robbery attacks, we complained to the local government authority and they told us to volunteer one of our children that they trained and employed, thereafter, the robbery stopped. But the boy has been transferred from here and we no longer have a security guard.

“Right now, we are in constant fear of being robbed; we have lost and are still losing money and property to armed robbers. We are appealing to the government to give us security guards.”

Asked how often his family members come to visit him, he said, “My family members have been visiting me regularly from Oyo state. 

“I married one of us here when I came and we are blessed with three boys. My first born is a bricklayer; he is now married with children. My second born is undergoing his Higher National Diploma (HND) in the polytechnic while the last is still in secondary school.

“I have been able to raise my family through the help of God and good Samaritans who have been supporting us. Majority of us are prudent in our spending,” he said.

Fifty-five-year-old female inmate, Alake Adeosun, who has been living in the colony for over 30 years said, “When I first came here, I was faced with the challenge of loneliness as there was nobody to take care of me. My mother who was taking care of me had just died so also my grandmother then. I came all by myself and since then, the government and other good Samaritans have been taking care of me. Our stipend was N3,000 when I first came and things have been improving since then.”

She added further, “If I had not come here, I would have died since because I don’t have anybody, no family member, the grace of God has kept me alive till today. I thank God because I’m now a mother of three children.

 “I save from my petty trading and the little money other people give me which I invest in buying and selling items. I sell second-hand clothes popularly called okrika; I also sell other things. Sometimes, I travel to Lagos to buy things and sell them here.

“As a woman, I want the government and other people to help me and others in raising capital for our businesses.”

More help needed – Former inmate

The Ogun state chairman of the Integrated Dignity Economic Advancement (IDEA), an association that caters for people affected with leprosy, Mr Jimoh Ahmed, said in their efforts to survive, some of the inmates engage in farming and other petty businesses to augment the N10,000 monthly stipends from the state government. Ahmed, a leprosy victim is a taxi driver who plies major roads in Abeokuta.

He commended the efforts of the NGOs, individuals, association and most especially the state government towards ensuring that inmates are well catered for, saying, “We want to specially appreciate former Governor Ibikunle Amosun for increasing our monthly stipend from N3,000 to N10,000 few years ago.”

Ahmed admitted that with all their efforts, feeding is still a major problem, saying, “Some of the inmates are engaged in farming, trading and other petty businesses to augment the stipends and what other people are supporting us with. There is shortage of land to farm because a lot of people are erecting buildings around us thereby making it difficult to access land. 

“When this place was constructed, it was an outskirt of the town because this place has been existing for over 100 years. I think the aim of the people that constructed the place was to keep people affected with leprosy as far away as possible from other members of the public but we thank God the perception is now changing. If you look around this place, you will see that we are surrounded by buildings. This place is no longer an outskirt of the town, it has developed into a modern town.

“We also have the challenge of accessing pipe borne water. Even with all the pipes laid here, it is only once in a while that we get water and even when we get, the pressure is always too low. We depend on a stream not far from here for our source of water.

“We also have the challenge of properly raising our children. We have children in primary, secondary schools and even in tertiary institutions. It is from what we get from government and people that we raise our children, pay their school fees, among other things.

“Thank God for people who have been helping us. Recently, a block of 10 rooms was renovated by an NGO. With this, the problem of accommodation is gradually becoming a thing of the past in the colony. We have just two or three buildings that are dilapidated. Things are getting better now unlike before when we use to have many dilapidated buildings that exposed inmates to dangers, especially during rain fall.

“Apart from the older people that do not have strength to do much, 75 percent of the remaining inmates are engaged in one form of business or the other.”

Thirty-three-year-old Olaitan Sunday, an inmate in the colony, expressed his readiness to go back to school as he could not complete his secondary school education when he came down with the disease.

 “When I came here in 2005, the nurses and doctors I met at the hospital here forced me to go back to school. Initially, I thought what they were doing was a bad, but when I went back to primary school and I got to secondary school, I realised that they meant well for me.

“However, trouble started in JSS3 when I started experiencing pains in one of my legs. At that time, I was about writing the JSS3 examination. When I got to the hospital, the doctor told me the leg must be amputated. After the surgery, I went back to school but was told that I could no longer continue because I can’t cope and the school is not a disability school.

“They advised me to enroll at a disability school but because I didn’t have money and there was no one to help me, my education came to an abrupt end.

“I went ahead to acquire trading skill in buying and selling motorcycle and generating set spare parts. I opened my own shop four years ago but I’m being faced with the challenge of raising enough capital to continue in the business.

“Besides this incident, I never experienced any form of discrimination or stigmatisation despite the fact that one of my legs is artificial. Whenever I go out, I make sure I pack myself well, dress well and when people see me, they respect me. If you don’t look at me closely, you won’t know that my hands and legs are affected by leprosy,” Olaitan said.

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