LAGOS SETS FREE 67 PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED, 62 UNDERAGED PRISON INMATES

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Not less than 62 underaged inmates were today set free by Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade. Out of the 62 inmates, 13 were females, while 49 were males.

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Also freed were 67 physically challenged prisoners, making a total of 129 inmates. They were set free from both Kirikiri and Ikoyi Prison under the Lagos State Amnesty Programme.

Justice Atilade said the amnesty granted the inmates was in line with statutory duty to protect the Child Rights and also ensure that the prisons nationwide were not congested. She admonished the pardoned inmates to make the best of the amnesty by not returning to criminal activities.

Justice Atilade was accompanied on the visit by senior judges from the state high court including head of Decongestion Committee, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, head of the Family Court Division, Justice Yetunde idowu, officials of the Lagos Ministry of Justice, Office Public Defendant (OPD), members of the Nigerian Bar Association, members of African Women Lawyers Association and other various non-governmental organisations

While setting the inmates free, the Chief Judge admonished them to be of good behaviour and to “go and sin no more.”

“I pronounce, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1(1) of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, 2007 as well as Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, you are all hereby released from custody”, Atilade said.

Justice Atilade thanked various stakeholders that have worked tirelessly to ensure the freedom of the inmates, especially Mrs. Modupe Olubanwo of the Fountain of Life Church Legal Team, whose petition had initiated the emergency prison visit to Kirikiri just like that of Badagry Prison.

She further solicited the support of all relevant stakeholders in the justice system in the effort to decongest the prisons.

Speaking at the Kirikiri Female Prison, Justice idowu said it does not give the state and the Judiciary any pleasure to visit children in adults Prisons and urged them not to commit any offence that will bring them back to prison.

“It does not give us pleasure to be here. The Chief Judge and other women in this team are mothers and grandmothers. The Lagos State government has zero tolerance for children in prison, you should be home with your families.

“Don’t do things that will bring you back here. Don’t steal, we don’t want you hawking tell your parents that”, Justice Idowu added. Justice Ipaye also said it is a sad situation that there are children in the prisons.

“I undestand that children break the law as well as adult, however, we should deal with children with a lighter hand. You children are the future leader of tomorrow, children from zero to 16 years should be in school, if you can’t go to school go learn a trade. What is important is that we do not see you here again.

On her part, Lagos State Solicitor-General, Mrs. Funlola Odunlami said the Lagos State government has enacted Law forbids hawking.

“Tell your parents that they should not send you to hawk. Don’t bow to preasure of freiends, if you are sent back here you will be dealt with more harshly than this”, Odunlami said. In his remark, the Deputy Comptroller in charge of the Kirikiri Medium Prison, Emmanuel Oluwaniyi, thanked the Chief Judge for the amnesty gesture.

“We thank you ma for the mother we have found in you, this is the second time you are coming. The first time you released 64 inmates, this time we are hoping over 100 will be released. The release of inmates has doused the pressure we have been feeling in the prison”, Oluwaniyi said.
The Kirikiri Medium Prison has a holding capacity of 1,700 inmates but houses 3,816 inmates. Among them were 3093 awaiting trial inmates and 723 convicts.