Inmate wins N1m prize in Chess prison championship in Borno
By Tada Juthan, Maiduguri
A prison inmate (name withheld), has won N1 million prize at the inaugural Chess championship organized by the United Nations on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in Borno.
According to UN agency, the play of Chess in prisons, was to break grounds in inmates’ reintegration and rehabilitation into the society.
The Minister of Interior, represented by his Technical Adviser on Corrections, Babatunde Ogundare, disclosed over the weekend, in Maiduguri that; “Today’s event at Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Service Center, was to highlight the benefits of the UNODC programme in fostering critical thinking skills that will enhance cordial relationship between inmates and custodial personnel in the country.”
“This is a unique initiative,” stating that a correctional centre is a punitive home, but designed to reform and help the inmates become better persons.
He, therefore, urged them to use this knowledge to evaluate their lives, reflect, and uncover the hidden potentials.
Speaking on their various jail terms, Ogundare said: “Being free does not make anyone better than you. Let the lessons from today shape your behaviour and the future.
He assured the 42 participants in the Chess award categories of plans to improve infrastructure at the correctional centres in the country.
“We’re working towards replicating the standards of the Kuje Correctional Centre across Nigeria.”.
Chairman of the House Committee on Reformation, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, announced N1 million reward for the competition winner.
He said the N1 million prize will be presented to him, after completing the six-month sentence in Maiduguri.
Ogah went on: “I’m pledging N1 million as support to the inmates. The will be handed over to you (winner) after serving your jail terms.”.
He also pledged to address the water supply problem of the inmates next week.
Similarly, the Guinness World Title holder, and Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, announced an additional donation to contestants that clinched the second and third positions in the Chess competition.
The UNODC Project Coordinator for Prisons and Penal Reforms (PORs), highlighted the initiative’s purpose, stating: “This project is to equip the inmates with critical life skills in improving their mental health.
He added that the acquired skills will provide them with a constructive outlet for their energy, including integration prospects post-release.
He noted that last month, UNODC partnered with Chess in Slums Africa in training 100 prisoners and correctional offers in Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to UNODC, the training led to a series of knockout chess sessions, which culminated to the Annual Chess in Prison on December 10, 2024 that coincide to mark International Human Rights Day in Maiduguri.
