Lagos CJ frees 153 Kirikiri inmates
A total of one hundred and fifty three inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons, on Wednesday, benefited from the amnesty programme of the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade.
Among the inmates that were released, three had been in prison for over 15 years.
Twenty-four inmates were released from the maximum prison, while 129 were freed from the medium prison.
Among the 129 inmates released from the Medium prison, 79 were standing trial for capital offences, while 50 were standing trial for minor offences.
Justice Atilade made it known that the amnesty programme was part of her statutory duty to continuously ensure that the prisons were decongested, in order to ensure that deserving inmates breathed the fresh air of freedom.
She also admonished the beneficiaries of the amnesty exercise to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that they do not relapse into crime.
Stakeholders in the justice sector were also urged to join the prison decongestion effort.
The CJ was accompanied on the visit by a committee on prison decongestion, lead by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, senior judges from the state judiciary, officials of the Lagos Ministry of Justice, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), various non- governmental organisation and representatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Deputy-Comptroller in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Mr. Seye Oduntan, in his remark thanked the CJ for the amnesty gesture. He pleaded with the CJ to ensure that the programme was a continuous one as more inmates, who qualified for the exercise still abound in the prison.
Statistic posted on the notice board of the maximum prison showed that the prison with a 1,053-capacity currently had 1,235 inmates. While 772 of the inmates were awaiting trial, 83 serving life sentence, 209 had been convicted, 171 are condemned prisoners.
The Medium prison, which has a 1,700-cell capacity, is presently harbouring 2, 853 inmates; 2726 are awaiting trial, 128 have been convicted, 25 are lodgers, 19 are detainees and only one condemned inmate.
