Daud Olatunji

Welcome to Ogun State correctional centres, where pregnant women, whose offences range from debt to fighting, serve jail terms with their infants in congested cells.

In a grim corner of Ogun State, Nigeria, behind the heavy iron bars of a prison, lies a world far removed from the hopes and dreams of freedom. Beatrice Adeosun, once a vibrant woman with a promising future, shares her story—a narrative of resilience amid despair, and a stark portrayal of the inhumane conditions faced by inmates, particularly pregnant women, in correctional facilities.

A Life Condemned

In 2010, Beatrice, who was 39 years old at the time, was convicted of murder, an act she claims was in self-defense during a violent altercation with her husband. Sentenced by the Ogun State High Court, she found herself thrust into a chaotic environment meant for 800 but housing over 1,800 souls. Beatrice, who was sentenced to life imprisonment over a murder case in 2010, was pardoned by the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, 14 years later. She is now 53.

Read the report on Platform Times