Ogun Correctional Center records first BECE as 32 inmates sit the exam

Zainab Abioye

The Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, has recorded a major milestone in its inmate rehabilitation program as 32 inmates of the Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, sat for the Basic Education Certificate examination for the first time.

The command also urged Nigerians to stop stigmatizing ex-prisoners, warning that rejection by society could undermine rehabilitation efforts and increase the risk of recidivism.

The BECE, held on Wednesday, involved 32 inmates, including 11 female candidates. At the same time, 42 other prisoners took diploma, baccalaureate and master’s exams in theology.

Speaking during the exercise, the Social Welfare Officer of Ogun State Command, Superintendent Awesu AbdulHakeem, described the examination as a landmark achievement in the history of the command.

He explained that although the Ogun State Government approved the custodial centers as examination centers about three years ago, officials spent two years preparing the inmates before submitting the first batch for the BECE.

According to him, the command has been presenting inmates for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination since 2017, while also enrolling them in National Open University of Nigeria programmes, vocational training and other educational initiatives.

AbdulHakeem said education remains one of the most effective tools to reform inmates and prepare them for successful reintegration into society.

“We don’t stop at their release. We have post-reception services where we monitor many of them after they leave the custody centre. Some of those who have been granted amnesty have even returned from outside to complete this examination,” he said.

One of the inmates awaiting a Bachelor of Arts in Theology exam, who has been in custody since 2019, said the educational program has transformed his life.

He said he has given up smoking, alcohol and other negative habits, expressing confidence that he will become a responsible citizen after his release.

“What I failed to learn outside, I learned here. I have been rehabilitated through this education. I believe I am a changed person and will not disappoint the government when I return to society,” he said.

The Ogun State Corrections Controller, Abioye Kamorudeen Adeshina, said the examinations showed that correctional centers were fulfilling their constitutional mandate of reforming offenders rather than simply detaining them.

He appealed to the Ogun State Government, corporate organizations and public spirited individuals to support the command with teaching facilities, computers, operational vehicles and improved water supply.

Adeshina disclosed that the Ibara Custodial Center currently houses 1,393 inmates, while correctional facilities in Ogun State have over 4,000 inmates despite limited capacity.

He identified overcrowding as a major challenge, but praised the state government for granting amnesty to 81 inmates on June 12, 2026, describing the gesture as a significant step towards decongesting custody centres.

Also, the Director of Studies at the West Africa College for Christian Mission, Dr Philip Oluwafemi, said theology students showed remarkable dedication throughout their academic programmes.

He revealed that the institute will hold its convocation on August 7 for graduating inmates, stressing that education continues to transform lives within correctional facilities.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Prison Service, Ogun State Command, and the Chief Superintendent of Prisons, Owolola Odukoya Olayinka, have called on Nigerians to welcome rehabilitated ex-prisoners instead of subjecting them to discrimination.

He says ex-offenders who have acquired education and vocational skills deserve a second chance, warning that persistent stigmatization could frustrate their reintegration and expose them to criminal relapse.

“Stigmatization is not an option. Acceptability is what we ask for. When people have gone through rehabilitation and the world continues to tell them that they are nobody, it is like sending them back to where they came from,” he said.

Olayinka added that several former inmates have become productive members of society thanks to the educational opportunities provided in correctional centers, citing the example of a former inmate who now works as a lecturer after studying at the West Africa College for Christian Mission, an affiliate of Freedom University in the United States.

He added that the command’s aftercare program also monitors released detainees and tracks the use of empowerment tools provided to them to help them build sustainable livelihoods.

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