Mission of Rehab Foundation is to ensure crime free society through social justice intervention — Samuel Oni

Samuel Oni is one of the most resourceful legal practitioners in the country. Samuel has several attributes which stand him out as a dependable ally, one who goes out of his way to ensure for the happiness and comfort of others. He believes in equity, justice and fairness hence his penchant for putting his legal profession at the disposal of those in need. His foundation; Rehab Foundation is today a strong vehicle for securing justice for the less privileged. In this interview, Samuel Oni harps on the need for a better society. Excerpts

Can we meet you sir. Give us a little insight into who you are.

 My name is Samuel Oni. I am a lawyer by profession and currently the President of the Rehab Foundation.

What is Rehab Foundation all about?

 Basically the Rehab Foundation is a social justice initiative involved in providing free, that is pro bono legal  support to indigent awaiting trial inmates in Nigeria as well as providing rehabilitation support to ex-prisoners through vocational trainings, life skills support and family and community reintegration programmes

How did you come about the name Rehab Foundation?

I started the Rehab Foundation as a personal community development (CDS) project during my National Youth Service in Osun State, Nigeria. This is because, I observed there is a huge problem of recidivism among ex-offenders as a result of inadequate reintegration. Sadly, most inmates in the Nigerian Correctional Facilities are recurring offenders. Upon release from prison, they are not properly reintegrated into the society. While a lot of offenders too, are unjustly incarcerated and lack the resources to hire a good lawyer to defend them. So, we wanted to proffer solutions to the two problems.

 Can you tell us about your prison rehabilitation programme?

Some of the prison rehabilitation programmes we do include support towards the vocational and educational trainings of inmates in prisons like paying for necessary exam fees, books, and vocational tools. WE offer Psychological support to inmates about to be released, reuniting ex-prisoners with their families and communities, advocating for Ex-prisoners inclusion, providing vocational trainings and life skills support to Ex-prisoners after their release as well as  Provide them with medical support or treatment when needed.

Can you tell us about the impact of the foundation so far?

Since our inception we have succeeded in securing the release of several awaiting trial inmates and also increased our operations to other states like Lagos, Edo, Osun, and Abuja with several lawyers volunteering. We have also carried our advocacy to several communities.

How many lives have you impacted so far?

 I can say we have impacted several lives. We have secured the release of over 20 awaiting trial inmates who were unjustly incarcerated and provided them with vocational support. We started this NGO in 2019.

 Can you tell us about your mass prison outreach?

The mass prison outreach is an effort to bring several non-profits together to support the prison with tangible items necessary for the effectiveness reintegration of the inmates. In the last outreach,  items like computers, books, NECO fees, medical supplies etc were donated.

 What are your testimonies?

Several persons have been released from prisons and reunited with their families. We have so many heartwarming cases. You can read the case reported in vanguard here https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/nysc-member-secures-release-of-commercial-motorcyclist-after-7-months-in-prison/amp/

What are your focus?

Our focus is on providing access to justice and legal support to indigent awaiting trial inmates, supporting  the rehabilitation process of every Ex-prisoners in Nigeria and advocacy for the inclusion of Ex-prisoners and elimination of any form of societal discriminatory practices.

Tell us about your mission

 Our mission is to ensure a crime free society through social justice intervention. We leverage collaborations with NGOs with similar objectives and for now we do more of personal funding.

Has the government of the day being able to give support to your NGO

 Well, we have not gotten any support from the government however we enjoy access to the correctional facilities. We can say that is a moral support but in terms of funding we have not gotten any funding from government.

 How can the government be of help to your organization?

Government can be of help in several ways. They can collaborate with us to provide trainings to more prison inmate and Ex-prisoners. Government can also fund  our pro bono activities and government can collaborate with us to grant pardons to deserving  inmates who have passed through our prerelease rehabilitation process.  Our future plan is to have a rehabilitation centre where people who leave  the prisons can stay for a short while  for intensive rehabilitation training and increase our  reach to other African countries .

What are the hope of every child in confinement through your NGO?

 The hope is that through our intervention those unlawfully incarcerated have hope of being released. Also, indigent awaiting trial inmates can have access to justice and adequately represented in court. In addition, there is hope for a crime free society.

 Can you tell us about your webinar programmes?

Our webinar is aimed at sensitizing the public on issues surrounding prisoners’ rights, prisoners’ reintegration.

 

 What can you say about rehabilitation of ex-convicts in Nigeria?

 Well the rehabilitation of ex- convicts in Nigeria is something  that quite novel. At the moment, a lot of attention is given to the prisoners in confinement, and little attention is given Ex-prisoners, who go out to come back as a result of the problem of recidivism and lack of proper reintegration.

Sometimes you even find out that some Ex-prisoners don’t even have a home to return to while some  don’t even have a transport fair to go home after they are released from prison the question is how do you do you expect them to go home? They will definitely go back to the street, mix up with their friends and return to the prison.  Government keeps expanding the prison without ensuring that those who leave don’t return for being a social misfit.

 How do your NGO uplift the poor?

 By providing free legal services to the indigent awaiting trial inmates and supporting indigent Ex-prisoners with vocational trainings. We have a special programme for female  inmates particular those  who are nursing mothers.  When these people are reintegrated into the society their lives are transformed and when people are given vocational support their lives have been rebuilt those who are cast away become accepted and the stigma against them is eliminated

 Can you tell us about your medical outreach?

 For the medical outreach we partner with medical institutions to provide free HIV Test we also provide drugs and other medical supplies to the prison.

 

 

For a better society