Furthering its effort in sensitizing young children on their Fundamental human rights, Headfort foundation took its training to Birrel Avenue, at the special correctional center for boys in Sabo Yaba, Lagos State.
Speaking with newsmen, the Communications Director, Headfort Foundation, Itunuoluwa Awolu said the sensitization is important for the children in other to decongest Correctional facilities across the country.
Stating that if Children are aware of their fundamental rights as a citizen of the country, a better society is achievable and there will be not much need for congestion in the correctional facilities.
In her statement “as part of our #myrightmyfreedom project, which is mainly an opportunity for people at all levels to understand their Fundamental Human rights, at Headfort foundation, we are to give free access to justice to vulnerable people in society, especially people children on the street and correctional facilities. Both the ones with long-standing trials and the ones their case is currently in court”.
The group of Lawyers also simplified Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution into different Languages for proper understanding.
“It is not everybody that can read the English language, we have sensitized the girls in idiaraba based on our ‘My Right My Freedom’ handbook published in March 2022, an extract of the Nigerian constitution (Chapter 4) which talks about the fundamental Human rights with simple English, then we translated it into the three basic Nigerian indigenous Languages; Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. After the sensitization program, our lawyers have begun preliminary investigations into their case”.
Awolu also said that the non-governmental organization will not relent in its efforts to assist people awaiting trials in correctional facilities across the country.
Recall that the Chief Executive Officer Headfort foundation Barr. Oluyemi Orija made it known that the organization gives free access to justice to vulnerable people in society especially people in prison.
“We give free access to justice to vulnerable people in our society especially people in prison, we give them free legal representation and since inception in 2009, we have helped 326 persons out of prison. In our experience doing that we realized that a lot of Nigerians, the educated and non-educated ones really do not understand what that rights are and importantly how to enforce it should those rights be infringed upon.”
Orija said “instead of just representing and taking them out of prison with ignorance in them, it is also essential for us to educate them on their fundamental human right, this, in turn, will help them to pre vent crime”.
