Bailed Enugu Media Influencer Donates N500,000 For Inmates’ Interventions – The Whistler Newspaper
An Enugu-based social Media influencer, Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, popularly called ‘Senator’, has donated the sum of N500, 000 to help secure the release of prison inmates. Ugwuanyi’s donation comes after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court, Enugu, for allegedly defaming the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia.
The influencer, who said he would soon disclose what he passed through at the custody of the National Correctional Service, Enugu, stated that the donation was out of his experiences while in detention. According to him, many inmates have been in the custody after being granted bail for about one year because they could not afford their bail charges.
Quoting him, “Two days ago, I woke up and something came to my thought that I’m out of Enugu Maximum prison after 50 days. I know what I passed through, and what others are passing through inside that prison. I decided to give out this #500k from my #GTB bank account to Barr Doris Ugwu to use it and do intervention in that prison.”
He said while he was being detained, he had observed that many inmates had been granted bail but they could not pay the bail fees to enjoy their freedom.
“Many are there languishing because they can’t afford to pay ordinary bailout money which is nothing. You will see people granted bail for the past one year, and they are still there because of ordinary 60k, 50k, 100k; some even 30k bail, and they are there suffering because nobody to pay it for them, and they can’t pay it.
“I decided to cough out #500k and give to Barr Doris Ugwu to go and do the prison interventions, and bail anyone it can bail, especially those that have been granted bail and can’t pay. I don’t have anyone in mind inside, but anywhere the money can reach; as time goes on I will do more.”
He said the choice of the lawyer was because of her activism in seeking justice for prison inmates. “I don’t know her from anywhere; just that I was called one day for a legal visit inside prison and she saw me and said: are you not Senator Chijinkem? That day she came to see five prisoners or so. She became a mother to me inside Enugu prison legal office, advising me, counselling me and making sure my general welfare and care is still 100%.”