Lagos CJ frees inmate suffering from tuberculosis

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, on Tuesday
freed an inmate at Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lucky Nelson, said to be
suffering from tuberculosis and diabetes.

The inmate, who was said to have been in the prison custody
since 2012, was pardoned by the CJ, who was on a routine visit to
the prison on Tuesday.

The CJ said Nelson was being freed particularly to prevent the
contagious disease from spreading among the inmates.

A nursing officer at the prison, who presented Nelson’s case
file to the CJ, had noted that the inmate’s case had defied
medication.

While freeing him, the CJ said she “considered the period you
have been in custody without trial,” charging him “to go out there,
be of good behaviour and sin no more.”

Nelson had landed in the prison custody on the allegation that
he fraudulently obtained a sum of N25,000 from someone.

The CJ said she freed him on compassionate grounds in exercise
of the power conferred on her by virtue of Section 1(1) of the
Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, 2007; and Section 35
of the 1999 Constitution.

The CJ, however, declined to release 14 inmates of the Kirikiri
Medium Prison whose cases were forwarded to her, “because they
failed to meet the criteria for amnesty.”

The same fate befell 10 nursing-mother inmates at the Kirikiri
Female Prison whose cases were presented to the CJ.

Justice Oke, while addressing journalists, emphasised that her
power to grant amnesty to inmates must be exercised judiciously in
order not to end up unleashing unrepentant criminals on the
society.

“Fourteen cases were presented to me for consideration but after
interviewing them, I found that none of them merited to be
pardoned.

“ How can you release, for instance, a child kidnapper or a
murderer? That would be a disservice to the society.

“It is very unfortunate but we must follow due process in
releasing any inmate in the prison. Remember that members of the
society must also be protected, so we don’t just free any inmate
without following due process,” the CJ said.

Earlier, she directed the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms
Titi Shita-Bey; and the Director, Office of the Public Defender,
Mrs. Olubukola Salami, and other officials to take the details of
the inmates.

In his remarks,the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons at the Kirikir
Medium Prison, Oluwaniyi Emmanuel, urged the Lagos State Government
to do a downward review of the fine being imposed on offenders by
the Lagos State Task Force Mobile Court, saying it was responsible
for the overcrowded state of the prison.

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, on Tuesday
freed an inmate at Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lucky Nelson, said to be
suffering from tuberculosis and diabetes.

The inmate, who was said to have been in the prison custody
since 2012, was pardoned by the CJ, who was on a routine visit to
the prison on Tuesday.

The CJ said Nelson was being freed particularly to prevent the
contagious disease from spreading among the inmates.

A nursing officer at the prison, who presented Nelson’s case
file to the CJ, had noted that the inmate’s case had defied
medication.

While freeing him, the CJ said she “considered the period you
have been in custody without trial,” charging him “to go out there,
be of good behaviour and sin no more.”

Nelson had landed in the prison custody on the allegation that
he fraudulently obtained a sum of N25,000 from someone.

The CJ said she freed him on compassionate grounds in exercise
of the power conferred on her by virtue of Section 1(1) of the
Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, 2007; and Section 35
of the 1999 Constitution.

The CJ, however, declined to release 14 inmates of the Kirikiri
Medium Prison whose cases were forwarded to her, “because they
failed to meet the criteria for amnesty.”

The same fate befell 10 nursing-mother inmates at the Kirikiri
Female Prison whose cases were presented to the CJ.

Justice Oke, while addressing journalists, emphasised that her
power to grant amnesty to inmates must be exercised judiciously in
order not to end up unleashing unrepentant criminals on the
society.

“Fourteen cases were presented to me for consideration but after
interviewing them, I found that none of them merited to be
pardoned.

“ How can you release, for instance, a child kidnapper or a
murderer? That would be a disservice to the society.

“It is very unfortunate but we must follow due process in
releasing any inmate in the prison. Remember that members of the
society must also be protected, so we don’t just free any inmate
without following due process,” the CJ said.

Earlier, she directed the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms
Titi Shita-Bey; and the Director, Office of the Public Defender,
Mrs. Olubukola Salami, and other officials to take the details of
the inmates.

In his remarks,the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons at the Kirikir
Medium Prison, Oluwaniyi Emmanuel, urged the Lagos State Government
to do a downward review of the fine being imposed on offenders by
the Lagos State Task Force Mobile Court, saying it was responsible
for the overcrowded state of the prison.