Chief Judge of Ogun State, Mrs Mosunmola Dipeolu, has released 21 inmates from the five Nigeria Correctional Service across the the state.

Release of the inmates was part of the quarterly jail delivery exercise of the Chief Judge in accordance with Section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act.

Dipeolu  said the objectives of the exercise were to decongest the correctional service in the state, as well as ensure justice.

She urged the released prisoners  to reform themselves and refrain from crime and criminality.

“I encourage those released now and those released in previous exercise to ensure that they reform themselves and stay away from all forms of criminality.

“See your release as a second chance and an opportunity to be better and reformed individuals to yourselves and society.

“Jail delivery is not for convicted inmates or inmates whose cases are pending in court but those detained above their jail term without trial”, she explained.

According to her, those granted amnesty had spent eight to nine years in those correctional service without any trial, while the case file of some of them could not be found.

Details of those granted amnesty showed that three were released at Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu Correctional Service, five were granted amnesty in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government, while six and four were granted amnesty at Oba, Obafemi-Owode Local Government and Ibara Correctional Service.

Earlier, the state Deputy Controller of Correctional Centre, Mr. Victor Abolade Benson, represented by his Deputy in charge of Ibara Correctional Service, Mr. Onokhowomomo Godwin, urged the government for more correctional centres so as to decongest the centres in the state.

He noted that the facility built to accommodate 510 inmates had 1,189.

He added that Ilaro Correctional Centre has grown over the years from an initial capacity of 126 inmates to an all time high of 532 inmates this month.

He said out of 526 inmates, only 167 are convicted persons while the others were awaiting trial persons (ATPs) from 17 courts scattered across seven local government areas of the state.

He expressed appreciation to Dipeolu for her interest in the quick dispensation of justice and quarterly jail delivery, aimed at decongesting the correctional centres.

The Nation