Prison News, a quarterly publication dedicated to reporting happenings behind the nation’s prison walls debuts

Nigerians will now be in a better position to know more about happenings behind the country’s prison walls. A magazine devoted to reporting developments in the country’s prisons, Prison News, which was launched in Lagos in July is out to bridge the communication gap between the public and the country’s prisons. The magazine, an all colour quarterly, will cover various activities and events in the prisons across the nation and it has as its vision, a “determination to break the wall of partition between the Nigerian prisons and the larger society through our reportage.” The Editorial Board of the magazine says it is poised to achieve this. The first edition of the magazine has an interview with T.A.Ogunmola, ACP in charge of Maximum Security Prison, Ikoyi, where he spoke about his job and life as a “born again Christian” among other issues. There is a column on the history of prisons in Nigeria, pictorial of events in the prisons, news, health and personal columns.

Alex Ochor, publisher of the magazine, who is also   a pastor, told Newswatch that the idea of having the publication was conceived in 2004 when he was compelled by moving reports about the prisons to commence visiting those in Lagos and later in other parts of the country.

He said “I was compelled to visit these places as a result of some newspaper reports. I was reading about the deplorable situation of our prisons. I was moved by stories about the conditions of our prisons. I wanted to have on the spot assessment of the person.” As a result, Ochor visited Kuje Prison in Abuja; Ibara in Abeokuta; Maximum Security Prison in Lagos; as well as those in Ikoyi, Abia, Nasarawa, among other places. He and some of his colleagues were visiting the inmates to present them food and other items and to spread the gospel.

Ochor discovered from his visit to these places that a lot of things were happening behind the prison  walls which the public needed to know, hence the idea to start a newspaper dedicated to reporting prison news.

Nnamdi Iwuji, the publication’s editor, expressed delight with the “warm reception the paper has received from Nigerians” since it hit the news stands some months ago. He disclosed that at the prison headquarters in Abuja, the Lagos State prisons command, the human rights community, the NGOs, and some of their advertisers and sponsors graced the launching of the magazine. That, he said, is a demonstration of the desire of the people to read news about the prisons.

Among those supporting the project financially is a marketing company, Enyobi Nigeria Ltd.

Hope Organisation for the Needy, a non-governmental organisation, NGO, is another body that is giving financial support to the project. Fred Okochi, the executive secretary of the NGO told Newswatch, that the publication’s ideals are in consonance with those of Emmanuel Nnaji, founder of the NGO. “We did not hesitate to assist the Prison News when we were approached by its founders because we see it as a wonderful idea that will help Nigerians know the state of their prisons.”