I Was Meant To D!e” — Ex-Inmate Reveals How RCCG Changed Everything

A 38-year-old former inmate, Fakorede Olawale, has recounted how the intervention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Prison and Hospital Ministry gave him hope and ultimately changed the course of his life after he was sentenced to death by hanging.

Olawale shared his emotional testimony on Friday during the seventh edition of the RCCG National Prison and Hospital Ministry Conference, themed “A New Beginning,” held at the RCCG House of Favour in Redemption City, Ogun State.

Narrating his experience, he revealed that he was arrested in 2015 while studying in his 300 level at the university over allegations of cultism, armed robbery, attempted murder and other related offences. He spent seven years in prison awaiting trial, a period he described as the darkest phase of his life, during which he lost his father, his education and his freedom.

Reflecting on his past, Olawale admitted that he joined a cult during his secondary school days due to poor choices despite coming from a devout Christian family, with his late father serving as a minister in the church and his mother as a deaconess.

He disclosed that he encountered the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry while in custody and surrendered his life to Christ in 2017. However, he noted that his newfound faith did not prevent him from facing the consequences of the charges against him.

According to him, he was sentenced in 2022 to two death penalties by hanging, two life imprisonments, a 14-year jail term and an additional 10-year sentence before being transferred to the Abeokuta correctional facility.

Olawale said his situation changed after he wrote to the General Overseer of RCCG in 2024, requesting prayers and assistance. He recalled that a pastor was sent to pray with him and, although he could not explain how events unfolded, he eventually regained his freedom, attributing the outcome to God’s mercy.

Speaking at the conference, the Secretary to the General Overseer, Pastor Niyi Adebanjo, stressed that many individuals in correctional centres are still awaiting trial and should not automatically be regarded as convicted criminals. He called for sustained evangelism and support for inmates, emphasizing that spiritual transformation plays a vital role in rehabilitation.

Also addressing participants, the National Chairman of the RCCG Prison and Hospital Ministry, Pastor Ariyo Popoola, highlighted the ministry’s contributions to correctional facilities, including the provision of food supplies, educational materials, free legal services, payment of hospital bills and rehabilitation of operational vehicles.

Popoola further announced plans to construct a ₦600 million “Halfway Home” on a 10-acre site to provide temporary accommodation and reintegration support for ex-inmates who often face rejection from their families and struggle to rebuild their lives after release.

Delivering a message on the conference theme, the Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration, Pastor Oladele Balogun, described a new beginning as a divine opportunity made possible through God’s intervention rather than one’s circumstances or past mistakes.

Meanwhile, Assistant Controller-General of Corrections, Dele Ajibogun, urged the government, security agencies, the judiciary, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and philanthropists to work together in implementing practical reforms that would improve Nigeria’s correctional system, noting that the Nigerian Correctional Service cannot achieve meaningful change without collaborative support.