Chisco Donates 2 Buses To Ikoyi Custodial Centre For Court Trips

By Emmanuel Daniji

For inmates awaiting trial at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, getting to court may soon become less of a struggle as the Chisco Group has donated two buses to the facility to improve transportation for court appearances.

The donation is expected to help address one of the practical challenges facing the criminal justice system: inadequate and unreliable vehicles for transporting awaiting-trial inmates to court.

The two buses, which have a combined capacity of up to 100 persons, subject to approved seating and security arrangements, were presented as part of activities marking the 70th birthday of Chisco Group Founder and Executive Chairman, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu.

The Group said the vehicles would be fully maintained and used to ensure that inmates are transported safely and promptly whenever they are required to appear in court.

For people who are awaiting trial, access to court is not just another journey. It can determine whether a case progresses, whether an inmate gets the opportunity to meet legal processes and, in some circumstances, how long a person remains in custody.

It was this practical challenge that Chief Anyaegbu said informed his decision to use his 70th birthday to support the custodial centre.

“I chose to mark my 70th birthday by responding to a practical problem affecting the liberty, dignity and future of fellow Nigerians.

“Justice cannot move efficiently when the people who require it cannot get to court. These buses are our contribution towards making the justice process more accessible and effective,” he said.

The intervention was supported by Chief Obinna Anyaegbu, Managing Director of Chisco Transport Limited and Machine Nationwide Limited, alongside members and staff of the Chisco Group, family members, friends and well-wishers from Nigeria and abroad, as well as members of the Millennium Circle, a social-impact organisation convened by Chief Obinna Anyaegbu.

Chief Obinna said the buses should not be viewed as a one-off ceremonial donation, stressing that the Group intended to apply its experience in transportation, fleet management and vehicle maintenance to the project.

“This is not simply a donation of two buses. We are applying Chisco’s experience in mobility, fleet management and automotive maintenance to an important public need,” he said.

He added that the Group would support the maintenance of the vehicles, monitor their utilisation and work with correctional authorities to determine whether the intervention improves court attendance and case progression.

The Group plans to establish baseline and continuing performance indicators at the facility to measure the impact of the buses.

These will include the number of court movements completed, the number of inmates transported and any reduction in missed court appearances linked to inadequate transportation.

The monitoring will also cover vehicle availability, maintenance performance, the progression of affected awaiting-trial cases and the possible contribution of the intervention to reducing custodial congestion.

The results will be compared with previous court-transport records at the facility to determine the actual impact of the buses over time.

But Chisco’s intervention at Ikoyi is expected to go beyond transportation.

Machine Nationwide Limited, one of the companies under the Chisco Group, has also committed to supporting automotive maintenance and technical-skills training for eligible inmates.

The proposed partnership will support the Centre’s workshop capacity while giving selected participants practical skills in vehicle maintenance and other automotive trades.

The idea is to ensure that correctional intervention does not end with confinement, but also prepares inmates for life after release.

With employable skills, legitimate livelihood opportunities and practical experience, participants could have better prospects of reintegrating into society and staying away from crime after leaving custody.

The officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, welcomed the intervention and expressed the Centre’s readiness to work with Chisco Transport Limited and Machine Nationwide Limited on vehicle maintenance, workshop development and technical training.

Chief Obinna Anyaegbu stressed the importance of preparing inmates for a productive future.

“Correctional intervention must extend beyond confinement. People should leave the system with stronger prospects than they had when they entered it.

“Skills, dignity and legitimate economic opportunities are essential to reducing reoffending and helping individuals become productive members of society,” he said.

The Chisco Group also acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government and the Nigerian Correctional Service in addressing challenges within the correctional system, while noting that the scale of the problems required greater participation from the private sector and civil society.

For Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, the initiative forms part of his broader commitment to enterprise, human dignity and nation-building.

The Group said the intervention reflects its belief that skills, resources and capabilities developed through business can also be deployed to tackle social and institutional challenges.

Chisco Group is a diversified Nigerian enterprise with interests in transportation, logistics, automotive services, technology, hospitality, real estate and other sectors.

Through its businesses and social-impact partnerships, the Group said it remains committed to using enterprise and operational capacity to support economic development and community advancement.