* Released inmates to get financial support
The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, on
Tuesday, gave the order for the release of 45 inmates from the
Agodi Custodial Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service in line
with efforts to decongest the prisons to curb the spread of
COVID-19.
The release which came after a consensus by the monitoring
committee of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the
state is in addition to the seven earlier released last week and 15
that got freed under the prerogative of mercy of the state
governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The released inmates were granted mercy after the committee duly
considered the need to decongest the prisons in the face of the
security challenges being faced across the state and the rights of
individuals involved in matters.
Those released were inmates from a list generated by the prison
service and in order to ensure they do not go back to crime, the
committee has concluded plans to give them financial support to
tide them over during this period. And one of them was a man whose
case had continued to stall before the court because prosecution
witnesses refused to show up to testify.
Speaking on the exercise, Justice Abimbola that “we have been
able to go through the list that was generated from the prison,
apart from those that are terminally ill that this committee
recommended their release last week, what we did was distribute the
list to committee members to study and the total number that we
were to consider for release was 157.
“We looked at awaiting trial inmates that had spent six years
and above, sick convicted inmates, sick awaiting trial inmates and
awaiting trial inmates with minor and bailable offences. For the
first list of inmates that had spent more than six years, what we
decided to do was get in touch with those in charge because most of
the cases are part heard before the courts and we felt what would
be appropriate is not to scuttle the trial process but fast track
it and give necessary assistants to the court to ensure the speedy
conclusion of the matters within the shortest time possible.
“After going through the list that contains minor and bailable
offences and by consensus of the monitoring committee of ACJL that
most of the cases were minor offences that even if the trial had
gone on and they were convicted, they would have completed the
terms of imprisonment, we thought it was appropriate to let them
go, so 45 were given the prerogative of mercy. One of them was
released because both prosecution and defence attested to the fact
that witnesses haven’t been showing up. We feel it isn’t necessary
to continue to detain such person because he can’t be convicted out
of the blues without witness testimony,” the CJ said.
Justice Abimbola explained further that the committee is already
considering a new practice direction so that cases before the court
will not be at a standstill due to the unavoidable situation
brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We want to see how judges, litigants and counsel will be
subjected to strict hygienic and health standards in line with NCDC
and WHO guidelines,” Justice Abimbola explained, adding that not
all cases will be listed for the same time as court sessions will
be staggered in a way that specific time will be given for
individual cases and hearing notices given to the effect and anyone
that is not a party in a particular matter will not be allowed into
court mainly to reduce the number of people and give room for
social distancing.
* Released inmates to get financial support
The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, on
Tuesday, gave the order for the release of 45 inmates from the
Agodi Custodial Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service in line
with efforts to decongest the prisons to curb the spread of
COVID-19.
The release which came after a consensus by the monitoring
committee of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the
state is in addition to the seven earlier released last week and 15
that got freed under the prerogative of mercy of the state
governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The released inmates were granted mercy after the committee duly
considered the need to decongest the prisons in the face of the
security challenges being faced across the state and the rights of
individuals involved in matters.
Those released were inmates from a list generated by the prison
service and in order to ensure they do not go back to crime, the
committee has concluded plans to give them financial support to
tide them over during this period. And one of them was a man whose
case had continued to stall before the court because prosecution
witnesses refused to show up to testify.
Speaking on the exercise, Justice Abimbola that “we have been
able to go through the list that was generated from the prison,
apart from those that are terminally ill that this committee
recommended their release last week, what we did was distribute the
list to committee members to study and the total number that we
were to consider for release was 157.
“We looked at awaiting trial inmates that had spent six years
and above, sick convicted inmates, sick awaiting trial inmates and
awaiting trial inmates with minor and bailable offences. For the
first list of inmates that had spent more than six years, what we
decided to do was get in touch with those in charge because most of
the cases are part heard before the courts and we felt what would
be appropriate is not to scuttle the trial process but fast track
it and give necessary assistants to the court to ensure the speedy
conclusion of the matters within the shortest time possible.
“After going through the list that contains minor and bailable
offences and by consensus of the monitoring committee of ACJL that
most of the cases were minor offences that even if the trial had
gone on and they were convicted, they would have completed the
terms of imprisonment, we thought it was appropriate to let them
go, so 45 were given the prerogative of mercy. One of them was
released because both prosecution and defence attested to the fact
that witnesses haven’t been showing up. We feel it isn’t necessary
to continue to detain such person because he can’t be convicted out
of the blues without witness testimony,” the CJ said.
Justice Abimbola explained further that the committee is already
considering a new practice direction so that cases before the court
will not be at a standstill due to the unavoidable situation
brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We want to see how judges, litigants and counsel will be
subjected to strict hygienic and health standards in line with NCDC
and WHO guidelines,” Justice Abimbola explained, adding that not
all cases will be listed for the same time as court sessions will
be staggered in a way that specific time will be given for
individual cases and hearing notices given to the effect and anyone
that is not a party in a particular matter will not be allowed into
court mainly to reduce the number of people and give room for
social distancing.