CDHR to Ambode: Decongest Lagos prisons before leaving office

Patrick Okohue

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has urged Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to decongest the prisons in the state before he leaves office on May 29.

The Lagos State Chairman of CDHR, Mr Alex Omotehinse made the plea when he led scores of the rights activists in a peaceful procession/rally to Ambode’s office, Alausa Secretariat on Thursday as part of its 30th anniversary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group, as part of its anniversary visited Ikoyi and Kirikiri Maximum/Medium Prisons on Wednesday to help in bailing indigents inmates.

Omotehinse, who said many inmates were victims of circumstances, urged the state government to intervene in the matter.

The rights activist also condemned the spate of extra judicial killings by the police across the country with reference to the recent killing of one Kolade Johnson by the police in Mangoro area of Lagos State.

According to him, most inmates are those, who committed minor offences and whose cases are being delayed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), who he said has little time to go through the files.

“Today is the Day 5 of our 30th Anniversary. CDHR was formed in 1989 when a unionist, now a lawyer, Mr. Femi Aborishade was detained under Decree 2 by the then government of Ibrahim Babangida.

“We have visited the prisons and we saw the deplorable conditions under which the inmates are being kept.

“Part of our discovery is that one of the prisons had 3000 inmates over its capacity. Many of the people in the prisons are victims of circumstances.

“We are challenging the police to respect human dignity. We want them to respect human rights. If they want to take people to court, they should do so.

“We want to appeal to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to decongest the prisons and we urge the Attorney General of the state to also be up and doing,” he said.

Omotehinse, who noted that the group was not encouraging building of more prisons, but ensure decongestion of the prisons in Badagry, Kirikiri, Ikoyi and others.

“We have a lot of cases that are pending there. A file that is not up to 30 pages would be pending with the DPP for months,” he said.

On extra judicial killings, Omotehinse said that the trend should be condemned by all right thinking persons.

“Police officers who shoot people to death were allowed to go scot free in the past.

“But I am impressed that this time around, the State Commissioner of Police has paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased.

“It is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can sentence people to death. Some of the people in the prisons were made to sign their statements under duress,” he added.

NAN reports that the activists were later addressed by the Senior Special Assitant to Gov. Ambode (SSA) on Civic Engagement, Mr Taiwo Aiyedun.

Aiyedun commended the members of the CDHR for their courage and for fighting for the common man, adding that the state government identifies with their agitations.

Omotehinse later presented a letter and gift to Mr Aiyedun for onward transmission to Ambode, who he commended for his various developmental projects across the state.