Twenty-three inmates of the Enugu Custodial Centre bagged Masters, first degree and Post Graduate Diploma of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday.

Five of them bagged the Master’s degree, 17 bagged their first degrees, while one got a Post-Graduate Diploma.

The 23 are products of NOUN’s study centre at the custodial facility that completed their various courses within four or five years.

State Coordinator of NOUN, Nigerian Correctional Service, Mrs Jennifer Nwonyi, presented the degrees and diploma to the graduates at a virtual convocation held at the Enugu Custodial Centre.

She noted that the graduates had defied all odds to attain the great heights.

“I am overwhelmed with joy that God granted these students the grace to successfully complete their studies to become graduates of NOUN.

“Thank God that these graduates overcame the psychological challenge of attending to rigours of years study while being held at the custodial centre.

“I say congratulations to our graduates and wish them great advancements as we have prepared them to face and overcome future challenges when they leave the custodial centre,’’ Nwonyi said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sunday Oyakhire, Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Enugu Maximum Custodial Centre, thanked NOUN for organising the courses and for providing facilitators.

In his remarks, Mr Arinzechukwu Onovo, the correctional centre’s Desk Officer for  NOUN programmes, encouraged the graduates to continue to search for knowledge, saying: “it is the key to unlock many potentials.’’

“We had a greater number of graduates of NOUN courses this year than we had last year.

“We will continue to encourage more inmates to take advantage of free educational reformation available at the correctional facility in partnership with NOUN,’’ Onovo said. (NAN)