Behind the prison walls
Looking at the entrance fee in his right hand, and considering the number that has been sold so far, he swings his head in amazement. He is even more baffled by the ease with which visitors relax to enjoy on a ground that was once dreaded by humans.
What an irony, a prison becoming a leisure spot! A retired civil servant exclaims.
Thanks for the ‘Welcome to Lagos Freedom Park’ signage boldly written on the relics of the old prison cells that awoke his consciousness. Like the retired civil servant, some conscious visitors also argue what name that would suffice for a former prison complex where the voices of liberation were resisted than Freedom Park.
An intriguing feature of the park is the contrast ancient and modern at the entrance gate as the old and fading prison walls give way to beautiful ambiance that indulges visitors in pleasure; a little far from the madness on Lagos streets.
From the outside, nothing apart from some portions of the Old Prison walls, tell the history and reality of the now beautiful recreational park. In the pre-independence era, the park served as Colonial Prison where most pre-independence freedom agitators and anti-colonial policies activists were incarcerated.
“The new park rises from the ashes that held Obafemi Awolowo, my mentor, and others libration activists’’, says Ademola Ogubanjo, a copyright lawyer who grew up on Broad Street. He thinks the prison was on Broad Street because of the nearness to the courts and convenience of moving inmates thro and fro the courts with Black Maria. Then, I was scared of seeing Black Maria. I prefer seeing ambulances because I know they carry corpses. I never saw what was inside the Black Maria”, he notes.
Of course, the old walls (the foremost relic of the prison) were left out with the intention of preserving the Lagos colonial heritage and history of the Old Broad Street Prison.
The stories of Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Adeyemo Alakija, among others branded rebels, charged with many offences, imprisoned and how they survived the wrath of the colonial masters seem fresh on a closer appraisal of the relics of the Prison Cells and units. The one that touches the mind is Awolowo’s sustained gruesome experience in the then 52-unit cell facility for treasonable felony charges by the colonial government. Of course, his experience is documented by him in his book entitled: ‘My March Through Prison’. However, the gruesomeness emphasizes on the freedom that now reigns in the park.
With the air pollution occasioned by the industrialised Lagos metropolis, the park is one place to recline in relief because of its serenity. The beautiful grass lawns, well-trimmed flowers, and fountains make a visitor remember how it feels to be alive and how peaceful life can be when freedom is guaranteed.
Another irony is that today, many Lagosians hardly recognize the fact that the large expanse of land adjacent the old Island Maternity Hospital once housed a prison.
The cell relics in the park still retain the colonial masters’ style of oppression. The gallows on which condemned prisoners were hanged still adorns one of the apartments in the complex.
For the lovers of art, the many artworks that adorn the spaces on the green lawns leave one with delighting sights and appreciation of artistic ingenuity of the maker. They are strategically located, provide good photography landscape for visitors and beautifully convey the intended messages from the individual artists.
For further harvest of the local arts, a visit to the Kongi Harvest Art Gallery (dedicated to Wole Shoynika) at the far end of the large expanse park, ushers visitors into the works of contemporary Nigerian artists with a special focus on the foremost Nigerian Nobel Laureate.
The many exhibition spaces also feature works and host exhibitions for both established and upcoming artists. The beauty of it all is that the complex is embellished with nature despite standing alone in the highly polluted Lagos Island.
Besides the artworks, fountains, green lawns and flowers, the park indulges visitors to a world of excitement with its open air stage, amphi theatre, pergola (internet booths), Skeletal cells, food court, pond and fountains, historical status, museum complex, cell units, Kongi Harvest Art Gallery, dedicated to Wole Shoyinka, among others.
After exploring the complex landmark and feting on its numerous offerings, it is usually sad to say goodbye. Of course, one must leave, but the difference is that some years ago, no inmate got near the prison walls or gate alive except by the orders of the colonial lords.