Ogun Chief Judge pardons 21 inmates

The Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu on Wednesday granted Amnesty to 21 inmates from the five Nigeria Correctional Service in the state, gestures said to be part of effort to decongest correctional centres   across the state.

Penpushing reports that, the judge had embarked on three day tour of the correctional centres located at  Ibara, Oba in Abeokuta, Ilaro, Sagamu and Ijebu-ode between Monday and Wednesday,and released  six inmates from Oba correctional center,  four in Ibara , five in Ilaro,  three in Sagamu, as well as three from Ijebu-Ode respectively.

The Chief Judge in an interview with journalists after the gestures said this became necessary, pointing out that all the correctional centres in the state were congested, affirming that the inmates were more than the capacity the centers could accommodate, hence need to decongest the facilities.

Penpushing further reports that, speaking further, Dipeolu called on  the Ministry of Interior in charge of the Nigerian Correctional service to look into the need for the  expansion of the correctional centres across the country to solve the problems.

“We need to expand the facilities, jail delivery exercise can not do much in most of the correctional centers, the facilities are not adequate to take care of the level of crime, the crime rate is rising due to economic situation of the county”, she said.

The Chief judge  appealed to Departments of Directors of Public Prosecution (DPPs’) of the Ministry of justice to  work effectively  in the discharge of their duties toward speedy dispensation of justice which would help in eliminating congestion in prisons

Penpushing also reports that. she  admonished the freed inmates to make the best use of the amnesty by shunning crime and criminal activities capable of bringing them back to prison.

The officer in charge of Sagamu Custodial center ,Bola Joseph in his remarks noted that it was important to provide court cells,  adding that it would provide security for awaiting trial inmate from custodial center.