Ronke, 48
Real names withheld for the purpose of privacy.
Disclaimer: WIPSI does not support or condone criminal activities in any capacity. Our mission is to ensure access to justice, fair punishment aligns with the severity of the crime as well as uphold the right to a fair trial while also working to educate those lacking access to justice and victims of ignorance, prioritising the wellbeing of society and the individuals involved.
Day 1304.
It’s been more than 3 years since I arrived at this prison. I remember my first day here like the back of my hand. That fateful Tuesday , the judge set the bail so high that even if I wanted to pay, I couldn’t. According to her, she couldn’t in good conscience let me out back into society as I was a danger to the people of the community. And given the nature of the crime I was accused of, I understand why she would say that. As soon as the gavel banged on the table, everything became blurry, the voices around me became muffled and my eyes started to water. All my senses became stifled, the only thing I felt in that moment were the warm streams of water which flowed down my cheeks.
I remember coming to my senses when we got to the Barracks which the prison was in. I had passed that gate several times in my life but never entered it. Men in uniform passed by every turn and it almost seemed like a show of force, like a personal threat to show me that I couldn’t leave even if I tried.
I had no sense of time because my wrist watch had been taken away while I was stripped of everything at the courthouse. So I assumed we got to the prison around noon. The officer opened the bus door and pulled me out of the bus by the cuffs on my wrists which were connected by a chain to the cuffs on my ankles. He continued to pull me that way towards a canopy-like structure to my right. I wanted to complain but figured that I had no right to, since I was supposed to be a criminal.
My name, picture and fingerprints were taken and I was sent into the prison doors. I was welcomed with such an awful smell. I had never experienced such in my life. The warden handed me my essentials (a pillow, some clothes, a toothbrush, a bar of soap and some underwear) and assigned an older inmate to me who showed me around, told me about the rules and customs of the prison. I remember she told me never to go to the bathroom past 11 pm. I still obey that till now even though I don’t exactly know the reason for it.
The “legal professionals” in these prison walls tell me that I’ve already served the standard punishment for my crimes even though I’ve not been officially sentenced. My crime? Human trafficking – labour edition. My bail was set at 2 million Naira. It was at this point where my bail was set that I began to lose hope, and it had just been downhill from there. Of course, I still have a tiny bit of hope left just as everyone in here – even those fated to remain here for life. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time.
