By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Two former inmates have shared powerful testimonies of how the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) helped secure their freedom and restore their hope during difficult periods in prison.

Speaking during a conference organized by the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry at the House of Favour Parish, Redemption City, Ogun State, the ex-inmates—Saheed Adebayo and Bayo Adelakun (not real names)—recounted their emotional journeys through incarceration and redemption, made possible through the church’s intervention.

Adebayo, a 49-year-old Master’s degree holder in English, spent 14 years at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre after being charged with kidnapping—a charge he described as the tragic result of a personal dispute that spiraled out of control.

“A friend left his car with me while he travelled abroad. The car developed an engine fault due to an oil leak, but by the time he returned, someone had falsely told him I sold it,” Adebayo explained. “In frustration, I arranged for some boys to rough him up—a terrible mistake that resulted in his detention and me being charged with kidnapping.”

He expressed deep regret, saying, “If I hadn’t strayed from God’s presence, I probably wouldn’t have ended up in prison.” Adebayo now urges young people to avoid bad company and remain grounded in faith.

Adelakun shared a similarly harrowing experience, detailing how a work-related altercation in 2020 led to his arrest and a four-year trial for murder.

“On May 20, 2020, I left home for work and never returned. My colleague provoked me, and in trying to defend myself, he fell and died,” he recounted.

While in custody, Adelakun said he had a dream in which RCCG General Overseer Pastor Enoch Adeboye appeared and instructed someone not to handcuff him, saying: “Leave my son alone.” Encouraged by the vision, he clung to faith until a legal team from RCCG, led by Pastor Ariyo Popoola, took up his case. He was discharged and acquitted on May 12, 2025.

Both men are part of the 2,181 individuals supported by the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry between May 2024 and April 2025, through spiritual guidance, legal intervention, and material aid.

RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, emphasized the church’s commitment to giving hope to the forgotten and neglected in society.

“We provide spiritual, emotional, and practical support to those in correctional facilities and hospitals,” he said.

Pastor Popoola added that despite economic challenges, the ministry’s outreach efforts have remained strong.

“We work in remand homes, police stations, street corners, and old people’s homes. We’ve distributed food, clothing, and Bibles, paid GCE fees for inmates, and offered legal services that have led to the release of many,” he said.

He also noted that many inmates enrolled in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) have benefitted from RCCG’s ongoing educational and welfare support.

The testimonies of Adebayo and Adelakun highlight the growing impact of faith-based interventions in Nigeria’s justice system and the power of hope amid adversity.