How 200 female inmates languish in Lagos prisons

Among the inmates is a pregnant woman whose identity is not disclosed to the press who has been languishing at the prison fora minor offence because she could not meet N50,000 bail condition. The Director, OPD, Mrs Omotola Rotimi, disclosed this during the 10th anniversary of the office. She said many of the female prisoners […]

Among the inmates is a pregnant woman whose identity is not disclosed to the press who has been languishing at the prison fora minor offence because she could not meet N50,000 bail condition.

The Director, OPD, Mrs Omotola Rotimi, disclosed this during the 10th anniversary of the office. She said many of the female prisoners have been there due to their inability to meet the bail conditions granted to them.

She also disclosed that the female inmates are packed in the prison environment meant to accommodate 100 inmates.

According to her, the pregnant inmate unknowingly bought a stolen second hand generator which led to her arrest and arraignment in court. The OPD boss said the woman was remanded in prison because she could not perfect her bail, which included payment of N50,000, adding that her husband deserted her and left her to her fate.

Rotimi added that another inmate, a girl with a nine months old baby is also remanded in prison as a result of her inability to pay up her debt which amounted to N40,000 while the judge granted her bail in the sum of N100,000

According to her, the young girl could not provide the balance of N60,000, saying that her case was pathetic adding, “It was uncalled for, for a judge to have slammed N100,000 bail condition for an offence amounting to just N40,000.”

In an attempt to decongest the prison, she said the office planned to embark on defence of 145 female prisoners awaiting trial in the court so that they could be left off the hook, while 28 other females had been convicted.

The OPD boss stated that the office was currently compiling the phone numbers of elites in the society who could help to clear up the small amounts of bail conditions granted some of the female prisoners as well as defend in court, many of them still awaiting trial.

She added that as part of activities marking OPD’s ten years of existence, the office visited all prisons in Lagos State, with the aim of interviewing 25 people awaiting trials in each prison and offer them legal representation in court, in addition to existing clients.

“When we get to the prisons, we were overwhelmed by the number of people awaiting trials who would not let us leave until each and everyone was attended to. At Ikoyi male prison alone, we interviewed 200 inmates while at the female prison, over 30 inmates were interviewed,” she stated, adding that the office also visited all Remand Homes to get first hand information about what is happening there.

She said the office also visited Government Motherless Babies Homes in Lekki; the Girls Correctional Centre, Idi-Araba and the Boys Correctional Centre, Oregun to check the welfare of the children who have been in care and protective custody of Lagos State through the office and also update records and check the welfare of children and young persons in conflict with the law.