Oyo CJ frees 30 inmates in Ibadan, introduces new system to decongest prisons
ordered the released of no fewer than 30 inmates from the Agodi
prison, Ibadan.
The inmates included 25 inmates who were released unconditionally, 3
who were released on bail. Others include one who was sent to the
remand home on age basis and another who was released on bail to
continue with his trial.
He added that most of those released include those who were wrongfully
charged, those that had stayed beyond their prison sentence and those
that were supposed to be brought on a civil case and not by a criminal
code.
Abimbola while speaking said that the judiciary arm in the state has
introduced the parole system into its administration of criminal
justice to further aid the bid to decongest the prison, speed up the
justice process.
The parole system according to him is provided for in the
Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Oyo state, Part 43, Section
456 which provides that where the Comptroller General of prison raises
a report recommending that a prisoner sentenced and serving his
sentence in prison is of good behavior and where he has served at
least one third of his prison term where he is sentenced to
imprisonment for a term of at least 15 years or life imprisonment, the
court after listening to prosecution and prison authority, can order
that his sentence be suspended with or without conditions and the
prisoner will be released from prison.
Abimbola stated that if prison authority makes use of this act, it
will help the system, adding that his visit to the prison is not only
to ensure justice but is manifestly seen to be done, adding that
Section 36 (5) of the law holds that suspects are presumed innocent
until proved otherwise and when suspects are unduly incarcerated and
put behind bars for longer than necessary, the law provides for the
release of such suspects.
He said, "The exercise of the power of release is not based on our
whims and caprices. It has its origin in law, Chapter 40 of the laws
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the laws of Oyo state and the
Criminal Justice Release from Custody Act provides that if the Chief
Judge is satisfied that the detention of a suspect is manifestly
unlawful or a suspect is detained for a period longer than the maximum
period of imprisonment, his offence attracts if convicted.
"Or if inmates yet to be convicted for bailable offences have stayed
in custody beyond a reasonable period or attempted robbery or cases
with unduly delayed trial in cases where magistrates are not empowered
to grant bail or in cases of inmates awaiting trial for bailable
offences, such people can be found worthy of release,' he stated.
Abimbola stated that it is better for 10 guilty people to be set free
than for one innocent person to be incarcerated unduly, urging any of
the inmates that qualifies for pardon to desist from crime so that
they would not find their ways back behind bars. He siad in such a
case, they would not get a chance of the prerogative of mercy.
Abimbola then ordered the released of the 30 inmates from the prison.
Comptroller of Prisons in Oyo state, Tosin Akinromoju stated that the
CJ's visit was timely as the prison facility was already
overstretched.
He said that the prison built in the pre-colonial era was designed to
cater for 300 inmates but as at Tuesday morning, the prison had 1150
inmates with only 100 convicted.
He said that the convicted inmates include 95 male and 15 female while
the remaining 950 are awaiting trial inmates.
At the end of the sitting, Justice Abimbola released 30 inmates; 25
were released unconditionally, three were released on bail, one was
sent to the remand home on age basis and one was released on bail to
continue with his trial.
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