Ogun pardons 49 inmates in efforts to decongest correctional centres

The Chief Judge of Ogun, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, on Tuesday granted pardon to 49 inmates as part of efforts to decongest correctional facilities in the state.

Ms. Dipeolu pardoned the inmates during a jail delivery exercise at Oba, Ibara, and Ilaro correctional centres in Ogun State.

Thirty-one inmates were released from the Oba correctional centre, 15 from Ibara, and three from Ilaro correctional centre, bringing the total number of inmates granted amnesty to 49.

Ms. Dipeolu said that the exercise was to decongest the facilities, adding that cases of inmates were reviewed, leading to the freedom granted to those deemed deserving.

When she visited the Ilaro correctional centre, she said correctional facilities needed improvement.

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”We cannot afford to have deaths on our hands due to overcrowding. The conditions here at the correctional centre have not improved. It is evident that overcrowding is rampant, even without official statistics. Dipeolu expressed particular concern about the overcrowding among those awaiting trial, highlighting their suffering without a conviction.

Also at the Oba correctional centre, the chief judge expressed concern with the overcrowding and condition of the facility.

“We cannot ignore the plight of those awaiting trial, many of whom have been incarcerated for years without conviction,” she said.

At the Ibara correctional centre, the CJ commended the managers of the facility for their efforts at maintaining a relatively better environment, urging them to do more to address the other challenges.

She, however, emphasised the need for swift justice and rehabilitation, rather than mere punishment, to address the root causes of congestion.

In his remarks, controller of the correctional centre, Saliu Adepoju, commended the chief judge and her entourage for exercising and upholding the judiciary’s ethics.

The CJ was accompanied by a team of judges from the state high court, the director of public prosecution management, and some officials, including the state controller and assistant controller of the correctional centre.