Lagos CJ Frees 96 Prisoners

Ninety six inmates of the Kirikiri Medium and Female Prisons in Lagos were today released by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips. Eighty-eight of the inmates were released from the Kirikiri Medium Prison while eights others were freed at the female prison facility.

Speaking at both ceremonies, Phillips admonished the freed inmates to “go and sin no more”. She said:” To err is human, to forgive, divine. Nobody is above mistake. When you leave these walls, you should go away and make something of your lives.
You should make a vow never to return here again because I am sure you have learnt your lessons.”

The chief judge said she was saddened that there were so many awaiting trial inmates and promised to look specially into their cases.

Phillips said efforts were being made towards decongesting the prisons in order to make them conducive for the inmates.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the deputy controller of the medium prison, DCP Tunde Ladipo, said the facility had 2,496 inmates.

Ladipo said only 152 inmates were convicts while the remaining 2,344 were awaiting trial inmates.

He said: This shows that this place is highly congested because the capacity is 1,700.

“That is why it is necessary for the chief judge to come here regularly to free those inmates who are due for release.”

Ladipo called for the introduction of suspended sentencing, community service and parole into the Nigerian justice system.

He said the inmates were being put into a reformation, rehabilitation and re-integration programme in order to make them useful to themselves and the society.

“Some inmates here are barbers. We have computer experts, shoe makers, actors and mechanics.

“10 of them wrote WAEC last year and eight of them had six credits. This year, we are enrolling 25 inmates for the GCE,” he added.

On her part, the deputy comptroller of the female prison, DCP Isioma Onwuli, said the facility had a capacity to hold 211 inmates.

Onwuli said the prison had 207 inmates comprising of 36 convicts, 167 awaiting trial inmates, three condemned inmates and one serving life imprisonment.

She said there were four pregnant women and nine babies in the facility, adding that these category of persons need special care.