Ambode releases 12 Kirikiri Prison inmates

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday released 12 inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Apapa in furtherance of the law establishing the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy. The inmates had spent between 20 and 34 years in prison and were released after satisfying basic conditions such as remorse, good […]

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday released 12 inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Apapa in furtherance of the law establishing the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

The inmates had spent between 20 and 34 years in prison and were released after satisfying basic conditions such as remorse, good behaviour and readiness to contribute meaningfully to the society.

Speaking while handing over the release order from the governor to the Lagos prisons command, the chairman of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, said the release of the inmates was in line with the commitment of the present administration in the state to the ideals of the justice sector reforms through prison decongestion.

Oyewo, who represented Gov Ambode at the event, alongside other  members of the council, said the exercise was pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the governor to exercise prerogative of mercy, and also to offer hope to such inmates who had demonstrated the capacity to be re-absolved into the society.

According to Oyewo, a professor of law, the families of the released inmates, in accordance with the guidelines, were also made to guarantee that they would follow up on them to ensure that they don’t go back to their old ways of crime.

Addressing other inmates at the prison, he admonished them not to be discouraged but be of good behaviour and repent from their bad ways, saying that the state governor was determined to release as many of them who meet the requirements for freedom.

He also said that a reform was being proposed to put a parole system in place to secure the database and monitor prisoners on prerogative of mercy after their release to guide against future crime and ensure they contribute positively to the society.

In his remarks, the Controller of Prisons, Lagos Command, Mr Tunde Ladipo, commended Gov Ambode for his commitment to justice sector reforms and prison decongestion, saying the release of the inmates had brought hope to them.

Ladipo recalled the release of 18 inmates in March this year by the governor, adding that the development would go a long way in addressing prison congestion which had been a major issue in the administration of justice system in the country.

He urged the governor to come to the aid of the Lagos Prisons command in the area of logistics, construction of security tower and procurement of CCTV cameras, among others.