Lagos Chief Judge Releases 119 Inmates

To those that were released, congrats. We hope you do not engage in any act of crime or get close to any one involved in crime. The Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, Wednesday released 119 awaiting trial inmates from the Maximum and Medium Security Prison, Kirikiri, Lagos. At least 99 inmates secured freedom from the medium security prison while 20 were released from the maximum security prison. They included inmates believed to be brothers – Dare and Dada Egbebunmi. The released inmates were believed to be on awaiting trial list for over 13 years. The exercise was aimed at decongesting the prisons and in exercise of the Chief Judge’s powers under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act CAP C40, 2007, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Justice Phillips had earlier released 279 inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Prisons and Ikoyi prisons last year..

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The Chief Judge, who was accompanied by senior members of the judiciary, including judges and the Chief Registrar, admonished the freed inmates to be of good behaviour. “I release all you today 25th day of September, 2013 from custody pursuant to the powers conferred on me and admonish you to go and s*n no more,” she said. She asked the freed inmates to go out and begin to do what is right adding, “we don’t expect to see you here again. It is painful when we release you and we come again and you are here. “So, I admonish you to do what is right and don’t put us into shame for releasing you. Go and say good bye to prison,” she concluded.