By John Chikezie

The newly appointed Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke, yesterday, granted amnesty to four sick inmates of Badagry Prison. The freed inmates, aside from being sick, were all charged and convicted on charges bordering on breach of peace and having no means of livelihood.
Oke, who resumed office barely three weeks ago, released the convicts, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provisions Act, Laws of the Federation 2007. While releasing the inmates, the CJ urged them to go and sin no more.
He also urged them to, henceforth, be of good behaviour and stay away from crime. Most of the released inmates appeared skinny and suffering with paralysis and had difficulties in walking; others are suffering from asthma. However, two other inmates initially scheduled for release were denied freedom by the Chief Judge. One of the inmates is serving jail term for car theft, while the other is on trial for sexual offences.
Oke ordered that the released sick inmates be taken immediately to hospital for medical attention. Oke remarked that prison decongestion was uppermost in her mind and that of the Lagos State Government.

She said: “This is the reason we are doing all we can to assist in decongestion of prisons by releasing those awaiting trials or convicted for minor offences.” She expressed displeasure with the lower courts for convicting persons for having no visible means of livelihood.
She queried: “When has it become an offence to be out of job? There is no law to support such, and my findings in Badagry Prison has again brought to fore the need for training and reorientation of magistrates on criminal laws.”

The Deputy Comptroller of Prisons (DCP), Olukayode Esan, said that the visit, which was to release the inmates, has attested to the fact that imprisonment was not the end of one’s life, but rather a process of reformation for wrong doing.
Esan also requested for the support of the state government to enable the prison authority carry out reformation programmes that will make the inmates useful to the society after their release.
Esan further said: “The prison needs support in areas of industrial and capacity training, staff accommodation, assisting the inmates to get easy access to courts for trial, provision of generator to power the facility, among others.”
The DCP further disclosed that the prison, built in 1885 to accommodate 160 inmates, currently has 482 inmates, who are mostly awaiting trials. “37 of them are long term convicts, 185 short term convicts and five sick inmates undergoing treatment and six stagnant long term awaiting trials,” DCP said

https://newtelegraphonline.com/2017/11/lagos-cj-frees-four-sick-inmates-badagry-prison/

Nice one from the CJ

Hmmm...
Sometimes, what we hear in nigeria would make u wonder if it ain't truly a Zoo...

How can u imprison someone for not having a job yet those who caused it walk freely...

Judges idi Uwa Mmebi...

Na wah o...well a wise old chinese man once said

[与其]临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网。《汉书 · .

U 4 help me explain what the old Chinese said naaa.

Mehn see how skinny those inmates are.....Baba God abeg may we not have any course to visit the prison not to talk of being jailed.