About 67 inmates of the Sagamu, New Abeokuta and Ibara correctional centres in Ogun State have regained their freedom.
The inmates were set free after a review of their cases by the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu.
DAILY POST reports that 35 of the inmates were released from the Sagamu correctional center on Wednesday, while 20 inmates from the New Abeokuta correctional center, Oba and 12 inmates from the Ibara correctional center were released on on Thursday.
The chief judge who visited the facilities accompanied by judges and magistrates, stated that the jail delivery exercise was in line with the state government’s efforts to decongest correctional centres in the state.
She revealed that some of the inmates were released due to old age or health issues, while others have been detained for long years without any ongoing proceedings.
Justice Dipeolu said, “It’s part of the duty of the Chief Judge to go on jail delivery exercises like once in a quarter and decongest the prisons.
“Only one was released here in Oba due to old age and of course, the DPP says he has no case to answer, while the others have been in custody for many years.
“It’s either their case files cannot be located or witnesses are not forthcoming, for as far back as 2017, 2019, 2020 they’ve been in custody and their cases are not going on. So there’s no point keeping them here and feeding them on tax payers money.”;;
She advised the freed inmates to reintegrate into the society and become good citizens, warning that if they return back to their old ways, they would not be lucky again.
“They should go back into the society and be good citizens, we have their records, we always tell them, ‘if you come back you would not be lucky the second time’ so we implore them to be of good behavior.
“Let them go back into the society and find something tangible to do with their lives.”;;
Meanwhile, the State Controller of Corrections, Abioye Adesina expressed satisfaction over the decongestion and appealed to the state government for more operational vehicles for mobilization of inmates.
