Lagos Chief Judge frees 153 Kirikiri prisons inmates


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Some freed inmates from the Kirikiri prison, Lagos, expressing gratitude to the Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade ...on Wednesday. Photo: Lagos Judiciary


Ramon Oladimeji

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, on Wednesday released 153 awaiting trial inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons.

Among the pardoned inmates were 79 being tried for capital offences.

Three of the freed inmates had been standing trial for over 15 years.

Atilade said the amnesty granted the inmates was in line with her statutory duty to ensure that the prisons were not congested.

She said, "I advise the pardoned inmates to make the best of this amnesty by not returning to criminal activities."

The chief judge solicited the support of all relevant stakeholders in the justice system in the effort to decongest the prisons.

Atilade was accompanied on the visit by senior judges from the state high court, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, some non-governmental organisations and representatives of the police.

In his remark, the Deputy Controller in charge of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Seye Oduntan, thanked the CJ for the amnesty gesture.

Oduntan, who noted that there were still many inmates who deserved pardon, urged the chief judge to ensure the continuity of the exercise.

As of Wednesday, the Kirikiri Maximum Prison with a holding capacity of 1,053 inmates housed 1,235 inmates. Among them were 772 awaiting trial inmates and 209 convicts. There were 171 inmates on death row, while 83 were serving life sentence.

At the medium prison with a holding capacity of 1,700 inmates, there were 2,853 inmates as of Wednesday. Among them, 2,726 were awaiting trial, 128 had been convicted, 25 designated as lodgers, 19 were detainees, while one inmate was condemned.

Ramnon2:
I am guessing the one(s) standing up are not Yoruba. No culturally induced genuflection even upon release from prison

ki02020:




Calm down na...don't jump into conclusion

Ramnon2:
These prisoners she is playing god over are already weak and almost non-existent. Why further debase them?

juniorportland:
some of them Go still do Wetin go carry them go back

Adekorya:
Standing trial for 15years?

Meaning they were in prison for 15years without any conviction. The rule of law of this country is only on paper.

antispexish:


if you had said that in front of those prisoners, you would have received correct prison slaps from the prisoners.

Ramnon2:


Quite possible. Naija is a country of mad people, so I wont be surprised if that would happen.

Ramnon2:


Ah! Bros, an average Yoruba is so full of ''gratitude'' that they must dobale (genuflect) upon smaller gestures, let alone big gestures such as premature release from prison. That man standing who is not swayed by what his fellow inmates did MUST not be Yoruba. He must be from the ''land of the flaties''

ki02020:



I disagree bro anybody from any tribe will gladly prostrates for such gesture...probably there was no space in his front

Ramnon2:


But there is a lot of space just behind him, as the pic shows

Ramnon2:
But is this civilization or backwardness?

Ramnon2:


Ah! Bros, an average Yoruba is so full of ''gratitude'' that they must dobale (genuflect) upon smaller gestures, let alone big gestures such as premature release from prison. That man standing who is not swayed by what his fellow inmates did MUST not be Yoruba. He must be from the ''land of the flaties''

Ramnon2:
Is she an empress or something?

Could somebody jolt her to the fact that this is the 21st century? That she only did her job and that she should not create a press conference after conducting the duties for which she is paid, to allow the opportunity for gratitudinal genuflection?