Lagos State Chief Judge, CJ, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has freed 33 inmates from three out of the five Custodial Centres of the Nigerian Correctional Services in the State.
Eight of the inmates were released from Ikoyi custodial centre, 11 and 14 from Maximun and Medium Custodial centres respectively.
The inmates were pardoned at an open court session presided over by the Chief Judge at the premises of Justice Samuel Ilori Court House, Ogba.
Justice Alogba, noted that the exercise was in line with the efforts by the Federal Government to decongest the prisons as stipulated in Section 6 of the1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, Chapter 40 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2005.
He explained that thẹ criteria used to determine those released were not based on sentiments but “were meticulously followed and scrutinized by the Justice Adenike Coker led decongestion committee.
The CJ however praised the efforts of the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which he noted have been doing their best to reform the inmates to make it easier for them to be integrated back into society.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the State Comptroller of NCS, Francis Adebisi stated that the population in the custodial centres have become a great challenge due to congestion.
He said the decision to release the deserving inmates would go a long way to improve situation at the custodial centres across the state.
