Thread by @fisayosoyombo

1. Dear friends, I need your help.

As a few people may probably be aware: @kikimordi & I won @Gatefieldco's People Journalism Prize for Africa on Thursday; I’m keeping the award but not the cash. Instead, I’m donating it to a cause to push for prison decongestion. A THREAD.

2. Now, I’m seeking to quadruple my N500,000 donation to N2million. Ideally, I’d love to have just 3 people match my donation; that is, 3 people who give N500,000 each. But if there are people who want to give smaller amounts, even as small as N1,000, we’ll accept them.

3. Let me quickly explain why I’m doing this. I’m not plotting an escape route for ppl who've genuinely committed crimes. My interests are primarily those whose remandment in prison is unjust or those whose offences are so light as to deserve nothing more than community service.

4. While I was in prison under cover, two of the arrivals were young cousins who fought each other on the streets and got arrested by the Police. With no one to pay the Police bribes for bail, they got sent to court and, of course, prison. One of them was aged 17.

5. As a minor, he shouldn’t be in prison! While at Pedro Police Station, one of the guys brought to join me was a destitute. Arrested sleeping where he shouldn’t have. He came to Lagos from Benue, had no home, had no bribe to pay; he must have been sent to prison after I left.

6. My donation and yours will be managed by The Justice Project (TJP) in paying stipends to lawyers who will visit prisons to track cases, ensure more inmates have their days in court, represent the inmates, settle fines where necessary and provide support to the inmates.

7. Aside focusing on the possibility of innocence and frivolity of cases against inmates, women with babies and inmates with young families back home will receive special consideration.

8. Full disclosure: TJP is by Touch The World Foundation, a social initiative of Lagos-based church, Ecclesia Hills. But I haven’t picked them because they belong to a church; it is because the point man for the project is Abimbola Ojenike, whom I have known for 16 years...

9. ...as a man of integrity and a hardworking but silent force for social change. I am a million percent sure that with @beambini Ojenike at the forefront of this endeavour, no penny of the funds will be mismanaged. @beambini has assured me that every donor will get a receipt.

10. I’m personally promising you periodic updates on how your money is being spent.

If you will like to donate to this cause, please send it to account details: Touch the World: 5620117296, Fidelity Bank. Please add the remark ‘The Justice Project’.

11. And if you are unable to, you can at least retweet. Help us take this message to someone who might be able to.

Thank you!