New Telegraph

Awaiting trial inmates arraigned since 2009 still in prison – Comptroller

Comptroller, Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Adewale Adebisi, has disclosed that suspects who have been arraigned since 2009, whose trial has not commenced, are still being kept at Kirikiri Maximum Security Correctional Center in Lagos.

 

Adebisi made the disclosure while speaking during a plea bargain session led by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice as part of efforts aimed at decongesting correctional facilities in the state.

He revealed that the awaiting trial inmates were among the 6,800 detainees at the five prisons in Lagos state. He added that the state currently has a total of 8000 incarcerated inmates in its correctional facilities.

 

According to him, some of the detainees awaiting trial have long been tried in court, and a good number of them have been on trial for 10 to 12 years. Adebisi attributed the issue of prison congestion in Lagos state to the high level of migration to the metropolis, which contributed to a high crime rate. He noted with dismay that the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre, which has a capacity for 1,076 inmates, currently accommodates 1,830 inmates.

 

He further disclosed that out of the 1,830 inmates, 283 have been convicted, 1,075 are awaiting trial, 88 are serving life terms, 372 are on death row and 12 inmates are lodgers (inmates in transit).

The Comptroller praised the ingenuity of Lagos State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Moyosore Onignanjo (SAN) for initiating the very first plea bargaining session held in penal institutions.

 

“I thank the Attorney General for taking this bold step; the plea bargain sessions will help to awaken the self-consciousness of inmates and make them admit to crimes they committed and repent. “It will also help us decongest the custodial centres and help us to reduce crime rate in the state,” Adebisi said.

 

In his comments, the Lagos AG who led the government team, indicated that 27 awaiting trial inmates comprising of 16 males and 11 females benefitted from the plea bargaining session, saying 530 persons have benefitted from plea bargaining in Lagos State since 2017.

 

“530 does not look like a very large number but therehasbeenlethargyamonginmatesandlawyers to take up this opportunity,” Onigbanjo said, adding thatthiswaswhythesessionwasimportant.

 

The 27 inmates who benefitted from the arrangement among whom are; Solomon Ibukunola, Gideon Uba, Nojeemu Alebiosu and Akande Mayowa, entered plea bargain agreements with Lagos state prosecutors. following advice from their lawyer, Nelson Onyejaka.

 

The agreement was upheld by Justice Sendotan Ogunsanya of the Lagos State High Court who was one of the three judges that participated in virtual court proceedings from their courtrooms.

Read Previous

2023: PDP’s leadership endorses Sandy-Gershom ticket

Read Next

…Suspends trading in GTBank shares

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *