Lagos CJ Frees Additional 31 Inmates from Ikoyi
Prison
The prison decongestion exercise embarked upon by
Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, continued today as
additional 31 awaiting trial inmates were released from the Ikoyi Prisons.
Justice Atilade had last Wednesday released a total
of 153 inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons, which brings the total
of released inmates so far to 184.
She admonished the freed inmate never to return to
crime again but see their freedom as a new beginning and opportunity to start
afresh.
"Those of you who have been released today
should see this as an opportunity for a new beginning. You must henceforth be
of good behaviour and never return to crime," the Chief Judge told the
freed inmates.
Justice Atilade noted that her administration is
committed to decongesting the prison and that situations where cases are
allowed to prolong unnecessarily in court will not be tolerated.
"The purpose of carrying this exercise is to
achieve a reduction of the awaiting trial population in the prisons. Situations
where cases are allowed to unnecessarily drag on in court will no longer be
tolerated," she said.
The Chief Judge also enjoined the state Directorate
of Public Prosecution (DPP) and other stakeholders in the administration of justice
to always provide the Prison Decongestion Committee detailed information about
the awaiting trial inmates.
She also urged the DPP to develop mechanism where
cases files of inmates can easily be accessed and reviewed by the committee.
Justice Atilade also noted that the prison
authorities must also be up and doing by adequate and relevant information to
the decongestion committee.
Welcoming the team, the Deputy Controller of Ikoyi
Prison, Julius Ezeugwu, thanked the Chief Judge for releasing the inmates.
Ezeugwu noted that in spite of the large number of
awaiting trial inmates in Ikoyi prison, the facility personnel have continued
to make the place a truly reformatory prison.
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