Freedom Park is a recreational centre used in celebrating interesting festivals and other activities like music, arts, and many more every year. This park is a ‘multi-functional cultural hub’. It houses various historical and cultural monuments as well as the museum complex, which houses amazing historical artefacts on display at the museum, including colonial artefacts.
I was told that before Freedom Park became a recreational center for fun activities, it was formerly a prison yard where most of our political Leaders were held Like the likes of Herbert Macaulay, Michael Imoudu, Anthony Enahoro, and Obafemi Awolowo. As of 1898, the prison had 676 males, 26 females, and 11 juveniles.
Lagos was made a colony after the British had threatened Dosunmu, the then Oba of Lagos in 1861.
In 1882, a prison made of mud walls and grass thatch was constructed initially with the design to hold 20 prisoners, but did not last Long because opponents of British colonialism in Lagos "kept throwing fire into it and setting it ablaze.
It was later in 1885, the then colonial government imported bricks and rebuilt the prison that was referred to as "Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison" and was demolished in 1979 which the yard became a deserted area not until 2010, The New Freedom Park was designed by architect Theo Lawson. The park was set to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Nigeriana and also mark Nigeria's 50th anniversary independence celebration in October 2010.
After the restructuring of freedom Park, the former records office was turned into a museum complex, and the old prison block was converted into a food court, built as a replica of the tiny prison blocks.
I enter the quarters where they normally hang prisoners and can boldly tell you that it's my first time seeing it.
The museum complex holds pictures and artefacts of the old Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prison and is open to visitors to the park…
If you want to enjoy the arts in a peaceful atmosphere, Freedom Park is highly considered.
I'm Dennis Chukwuebuka Okeke AKA Onye-njem one of AFRICA your number one celebrity Tourist.
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