My first visit to oko prison

Good afternoon everyone.

I intend to share a brief story of my experience at oko prison, or better still my first visit to nigeria prison in edo state to precise (Oko prison)

On the 3rd December 2020, I was called by my mom saying that one of my favorite cousin has been arrested, and he is in oko prison. I was shocked at first when I heard the news, because I know this person very well, he is not into any illegal stuff.

So after ending the call conversation with my mom, I quickly called my boss informing her abt the lastest development, and that I won't be coming to work today, so as to enable me go and visit my cousin at the police station.

Before I forget, let me introduce my cousin, he is name is frank, he is a relative from my mother side. He is married, and has 3 kids, he is self employed.

After I ended the call with my boss, I went straight to the bathroom and take my bath, and dress up, so I took a cab from my place to sapele road. The prison is located in sapele road, an another name for the oko prison is white house, the prison is know to be a place where dangerous criminal and murderer are kept.

On getting to the prison, I went straight to the canter to ask the police officer in charge abt the where about of my cousin. And he said that he has been kept in prison, so I pleaded with him to bring him out so that I can have a word with him, at first the police officer refused. So I make another attempt, but this time I had to drop something for the boys (on a coded format). So he allowed me to see my cousin.

I had a one on one conversation with my cousin, so I ask him what happen and how he ended up here. So he started narrating what happened.

He said that he went to see his friend at upper (in benin city) so he stay long at his friend place. So when it was late, he decided to go home, unknowing to him that area was rob few hours ago, so as he was abt to go to a place where he can get a vehicle home, he was caught by the police, and before any explanation the police men have already started beating him, and accuse him to be as one of the robber and also a bad boy because he was walking late in the evening. So that was how he ended up there, and the oko prison was the prison closet to upper and that was why they brought him here and also with other people.

So I ask him if he has written his statement and also contacted his lawyer and he said yes. So the officer who gave me permission to speak with my cousin told me time up. So I told my cousin that I will do everything possible to get him at of the prison.

So after this encounter, it them occur to me that many people are in prison for what they don't even know or have idea of.

I make calls to my cousin lawyer, so he went to see the DPO in charge of the prison, because they was no proper evidence that he is a thief, he was only caught because he was walking late in the night.

I went to get food for my cousin, then I was ask that I should taste from what I brought, so that they can know if it is poison, and I tasted it, then I took the food to the prison, they were more than 15 person in a prison. The place was just smelling, it was that moment I know that prison is not a good place to be. After dropping the food, my cousin told me to drop money along with the food, the money was to settle the boys in prison so I did.

It wasn't fun in the prison, so I put pressure on my cousin lawyer so that he can get him out of there as soon as possible. As God would have it, the lawyer did his best, and my cousin was granted freedom and he was free.

Since that day till now, he doesn't walk late at night anymore.