Lagos CJ Frees 75 Prison Inmates
By Adetokunbo Fakeye
Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips on Tuesday freed 75 prisons inmates of the Kirikiri Prisons.
Seventy-one of the inmates were released from the medium section of the prison, three from maximum and one from the female prisons.
The majority of the inmates who were set free by the Chief Judge according to report were still awaiting trial prior to their reprieve.
The Chief Judge acting upon the powers conferred on her under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007 ordered the immediate release of the inmates.
Justice Phillips urged the newly freed inmates to be of good behaviour as they return to the society.
The chief judge who would be retiring from service next month had previously released over 672 inmates from the same prison.
Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Mr. Olu Tinuoye, thanked the Chief Judge for the gesture, saying that her administration has significantly reduced the number of awaiting trial inmates in the prisons.
The Deputy Comptroller in charge of the Kirikiri female prisons, Mrs. Leticia Isioma Onwuli, while thanking the CJ for her effort at reducing congestion in prisons, lamented the poor state of health facilities in the prisons.
She said the Kirikiri female prison clinic located within the prison facility currently lacks adeqaute equipment to deal with the increasing challenge of female inmates especially the pregnant inmates.
Mrs Onwuli noted that the prison’s female clinic lacks the necessary equipment to deal with the health challenges of the inmates especially pregnant ones.
The DCP said the Kirikiri female prison facility currently has 205 inmates of which 170 are awaiting trial, 32 convicted, two condemned, one serving life sentence, eight pregnant women and nine mothers with babies.
She pleaded with the Chief Judge to appeal to the state government to provide rebate for female inmates who are referred to the General Hospital for treatment.