Headfort Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization that provides pro bono legal support to indigent and wrongly incarcerated inmates, has marked its 5th anniversary with commitments to strengthen collaboration with relevant stakeholders and institute policy change that will enhance access to justice for poor and vulnerable citizens.
Oluyemi Orija, the Executive Director of Headfort Foundation while delivering her remark at an event to commemorate the organization’s 5th anniversary tagged “5 Years of Restoring Justice”, said herself and her team have been focused on creating a society where everyone has access to justice.
Orija noted that since its existence, the organization has secured the release of over 628 indigent and wrongly detained inmates and reached over 12000 people reached with legal aid across Nigeria.
She however noted that the organization will expand its work to policy reforms, as a way to institutionalize the gains and impacts of the organization.
“If we secure the release of two inmates today, there is a possibility that eight others would be arrested same day. So, we can’t keep securing the release of inmates when several others are getting back there.
“As such, we want to focus on policy reforms and address the causative factors behind the detainment of inmates,” she added.
Orija also noted that the organization will expand its lawyers without border project will be expanded to other states across the country to drive more impact and also focus on juvenile justice reforms.
She appreciated the judiciary and the police for the support they have gotten so far, and also called for more collaboration for greater impact.
Mr. Todimu Ige, a human rights lawyer who spoke on the ‘Intersection of Poverty Alleviation and Human Rights Violation in Nigeria’, explained that poverty has aggravated violation of human rights in the country, and that it is important for Nigerians to know their rights.
Ige also charged Nigerians to unite to make the systems work, according to him, there is a plethora of law, but their impacts are not felt in the country.
The keynote speaker, Prof Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, formerly at the Adeplhi University’s School of Social Work, commended Headfort for their works and call on Nigerians to continue to support the organization.
The event had in attendance lawyers, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Judiciary, media and beneficiaries of Heafort’s interventions.