COVID-19: Foundation takes campaign to custodial centres in Ogun

A group, under the aegis of Habiba Charity Foundation (HCF), has embarked on an awareness and sensitization campaign on the coronavirus pandemic to the custodial centres in Ogun State. Custodial centres the foundation visited at the weekend include the Borstal Institute, Adigbe, Abeokuta, and the one at Ijebu Ode. A public health expert, Dr Olukoya […]

A group, under the aegis of Habiba Charity Foundation (HCF), has embarked on an awareness and sensitization campaign on the coronavirus pandemic to the custodial centres in Ogun State.

Custodial centres the foundation visited at the weekend include the Borstal Institute, Adigbe, Abeokuta, and the one at Ijebu Ode.

A public health expert, Dr Olukoya Olufemi, urged inmates, the centres’ officials and the general public to maintain a high level of personal hygiene with a view to limiting the spread of the virus within a confined environment.

Olufemi also called on the federal government to restrict visitors to all Correctional centres in Nigeria as part of moves to curtail the spread of the virus.

He warned that inmates crammed into a room stood a high risk of contracting the pandemic if movements into the facilities were not restricted.

“We have more inmates crammed in each room than usual. You can imagine if one person has coronavirus. There is a possibility of 30-40 people having it and this will aid the quick spread of the virus within a week or two.

“This means everyone in the prison is at risk of contracting the virus, including the inmates and corrections officers. This is what we want to prevent. We advise that they limit their visitors, even if it is for just a week or two, till the pandemic is out a little bit and then we can go back to life as usual,” he said.

The founder, Habiba Charity Foundation, Engineer Rasheed Sunmola, said the gesture was aimed at supporting the efforts of the government in curtailing the spread of the virus.

Sunmola, who was represented by the body’s coordinator in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Aishat Adesanya, noted that it was important that inmates were exposed to healthy living.

He added the awareness was targeted at ensuring that states across Nigeria begin conscious efforts towards propagating a hygienic lifestyle.

Responding, the Deputy Controller of Corrections in the state, Osho Abel, who commended the group for the initiative, said the inmates at the correctional centres would be afforded the opportunity to know the dangers inherent in coronavirus.