Headfort Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization, has secured the release of 500 wrongly incarcerated and indigent inmates from correctional centres across Nigeria.
The Foundation, founded in 2019, operates with a mission to ensure that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, has access to justice.
In a statement to announce the milestone, the Founder and Executive Director of Headfort Foundation, Barrister Oluyemi Orija, said the inmates whose releases were secured by the organization are victims of the poor justice system in the country.
Orija noted that apart from providing pro-bono legal representation for the beneficiaries, they were provided with “back-to-school programs, skill-acquisition programs, psychosocial support, and successful reentry into society.”
Orija said “we are thrilled to have reached this milestone of 500 successful releases. Our team of dedicated lawyers and volunteers have worked tirelessly to provide legal representation and support to those who need it most. We are proud of the positive impact we have made in the lives of so many individuals and their families.
“Headfort Foundation’s work is not just about securing the release of inmates, but also about providing them with the support they need to successfully reintegrate into society. The organization’s back-to-school programs, psychosocial support, and successful reentry initiatives have helped to give these individuals a second chance at life,” she added.
She thereafter restated the organization’s commitment to reach another milestone, by securing the release of 1,000 inmates from prison.
Headfort, as part of its innovative approach to providing legal aid to indigent and wrongly incarcerated inmates, victims of police brutality, and minor offenders, uses technology to improve access to justice.
The organization introduced the “Lawyers NowNow” App, which connects indigent inmates with pro bono lawyers who can provide legal representation and support.
