Oyo State Judiciary Sets To Tackle Prison Congestion, As State Kicks Off The Bondsmen System

— Chief Judge Urges Committee To Consider Rising Cases of
Insecurity And Public Concerns Whilst Carrying Out Decongestion
Exercise
— ‘Granting Bail Now Difficult Due To Multiple Instances of Accused
Jumping Bail, As Well As Unverifiable Surety Addresses’— Report
— ‘Criminal Defendants Claim Not To Understand English or Yoruba
Language In Other To Frustrate Trial’— Report

Oyo State Judiciary is set to take-off the bondmen system in Oyo
State to address the myriad challenges affecting stakeholders and
agencies in the administration which worsens the already prevalent
congestion of correctional custodial centres across the state.

This was revealed on Thursday during the meeting of the Oyo
State Administration of Criminal Justice Law Monitoring Committee,
led by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola, where
salient issues including bordering on how to decongest custodial
centres without undermining the course of justice.

In his opening address at the meeting, Justice Abimbola declared
that reports from custodial centres across the state indicate that
there is serious congestion and it has become an issue of serious
concern, adding that as a body saddled with the responsibility of
decongesting custodial centres, the committee must rub minds on how
to quickly decongest the centres in Oyo State without jeopardizing
the tenets of justice delivery.

Justice Abimbola stated that while it is the statutory duty of
the committee to ensure decongestion of custodial centres, care
should be taken in discharging this statutory duty against the
backdrop of rising incidents of insecurity and concerns by the
public that criminals are released into the society during prison
decongestion exercises.

He cited examples of people who benefitted from the privilege of
the prerogative during prison decongestion exercises and
immediately they get outside, commit the same offence and are
re-arrested, reiterating that people with the orientation of living
in crime should not be released to cause harm to the society.

In his report, the Iseyin Division of the state’s magistracy
complained that immediately defendants’ are granted bail, they
disappear with their sureties and often their addresses are
untraceable, making it a challenge to grant bail. The division
requested the assistance of investigating police officers, to help
in verifying addresses and asked for the provision of interpreters
as most defendants are Fulani men, who though speaks Yoruba outside
but insist before the court that they do not understand Yoruba or
English language, they also call on lawyers to offer pro bono
services to defendants.

To address this issue, Justice Abimbola, said when the Bondsmen
System takes off in Oyo State, the challenge of defendants or
sureties disappearing will be curbed as the system will regulate
the common practice of old professional and paid sureties who are
usually untraceable. He asked the committee saddled with the
responsibility of spearheading the takeoff of the system to give
its report so that the team will have an understanding of how the
system works.

The committee’s report given by A. A. Adebisi Esq, the Deputy
Chief Registrar in charge of law reporting, said “there is a need
to regulate the old system and streamline the practice which gives
room for vices like the use of fake identity cards, home and office
addresses, fake property documents and false representations,
defrauding the defendant as well as aiding and abetting defendant
to jump bail among other issues.

The Bondmen System will help with the decongestion of custodial
centres as more people will be able to meet their bail conditions,
ensure the appearance of defendants in court, obviate the need for
verification of sureties and defendant’s addresses as no one can
engage in the business without being duly registered and licensed
bonds person must have been subjected to scrutiny before being
issued a license, adding that it will also be an additional source
of income for the court and government,” he said.

He concluded that the Bondsmen System if properly administered
will be impactful on the general administration of the criminal
justice system of the state especially the surety/bail system which
has a direct effect on the decongestion of custodial centres.

— Chief Judge Urges Committee To Consider Rising Cases of
Insecurity And Public Concerns Whilst Carrying Out Decongestion
Exercise
— ‘Granting Bail Now Difficult Due To Multiple Instances of Accused
Jumping Bail, As Well As Unverifiable Surety Addresses’— Report
— ‘Criminal Defendants Claim Not To Understand English or Yoruba
Language In Other To Frustrate Trial’— Report

Oyo State Judiciary is set to take-off the bondmen system in Oyo
State to address the myriad challenges affecting stakeholders and
agencies in the administration which worsens the already prevalent
congestion of correctional custodial centres across the state.

This was revealed on Thursday during the meeting of the Oyo
State Administration of Criminal Justice Law Monitoring Committee,
led by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola, where
salient issues including bordering on how to decongest custodial
centres without undermining the course of justice.

In his opening address at the meeting, Justice Abimbola declared
that reports from custodial centres across the state indicate that
there is serious congestion and it has become an issue of serious
concern, adding that as a body saddled with the responsibility of
decongesting custodial centres, the committee must rub minds on how
to quickly decongest the centres in Oyo State without jeopardizing
the tenets of justice delivery.

Justice Abimbola stated that while it is the statutory duty of
the committee to ensure decongestion of custodial centres, care
should be taken in discharging this statutory duty against the
backdrop of rising incidents of insecurity and concerns by the
public that criminals are released into the society during prison
decongestion exercises.

He cited examples of people who benefitted from the privilege of
the prerogative during prison decongestion exercises and
immediately they get outside, commit the same offence and are
re-arrested, reiterating that people with the orientation of living
in crime should not be released to cause harm to the society.

In his report, the Iseyin Division of the state’s magistracy
complained that immediately defendants’ are granted bail, they
disappear with their sureties and often their addresses are
untraceable, making it a challenge to grant bail. The division
requested the assistance of investigating police officers, to help
in verifying addresses and asked for the provision of interpreters
as most defendants are Fulani men, who though speaks Yoruba outside
but insist before the court that they do not understand Yoruba or
English language, they also call on lawyers to offer pro bono
services to defendants.

To address this issue, Justice Abimbola, said when the Bondsmen
System takes off in Oyo State, the challenge of defendants or
sureties disappearing will be curbed as the system will regulate
the common practice of old professional and paid sureties who are
usually untraceable. He asked the committee saddled with the
responsibility of spearheading the takeoff of the system to give
its report so that the team will have an understanding of how the
system works.

The committee’s report given by A. A. Adebisi Esq, the Deputy
Chief Registrar in charge of law reporting, said “there is a need
to regulate the old system and streamline the practice which gives
room for vices like the use of fake identity cards, home and office
addresses, fake property documents and false representations,
defrauding the defendant as well as aiding and abetting defendant
to jump bail among other issues.

The Bondmen System will help with the decongestion of custodial
centres as more people will be able to meet their bail conditions,
ensure the appearance of defendants in court, obviate the need for
verification of sureties and defendant’s addresses as no one can
engage in the business without being duly registered and licensed
bonds person must have been subjected to scrutiny before being
issued a license, adding that it will also be an additional source
of income for the court and government,” he said.

He concluded that the Bondsmen System if properly administered
will be impactful on the general administration of the criminal
justice system of the state especially the surety/bail system which
has a direct effect on the decongestion of custodial centres.