When underage prisoners breath air of freedom in Kwara
Some prison facilities in Kwara State are in dire need of repairs as over stretched cells are being decongested.
We have gone through the list of a total of 182 inmates consisting of convicted and awaiting trial and we have come to a decision, upon examination that 15 inmates deserve of being released in custody. The basis of our decision to release them is mainly because we are of the view that their detention is manifestly unlawful
It is no longer news that the situation in prisons across the country demand urgent attention by those in authority. The legal system is also not helping matters as some inmates are sent to the facility for flimsy reasons that should have been dismissed.
But, be that as it may, the OkeKura prison which was established before independence is now a shadow of itself as majority of the facilities therein are obsolete. Also, the hitherto isolated facility is now enveloped with development as residents of the area now asking for relocation of the prison.
The Oke - Kura prison our correspondent learnt had no good source of water until the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association dug a borehole for them.
However, the story is different at Mandala Medium prison, Ilorin as the facility was completed about ten years old, though it was abandoned for many years before it started operation.
Besides, the bridge linking the prison to the metropolis had collapsed making it difficult for people to commute.
Both Oke-Kura and Mandala Medium prisons have their own share of congestion as they are overstretched with higher number of inmates than required.
It was gathered that the Oke Kura prisons with a 121 capacity had a total of 425 inmates, while the 160-capacity Mandala prisons has about 239 inmates.
The request by President Muhammed Buhari to state governments on decongestion of prisons led to the step taken by the Kwara State Government through its ministry of justice to release some inmates in order to reduce number of prisoners.
Sixteen convicted and awaiting trials inmates of the Oke-Kura and Mandala Medium prisons were pardoned during the decongestion exercise.
The Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Suleiman Kawu, who led other lawyers, prosecutors and magistrates to the prisons said that the exercise was carried out on the request of the federal government through the state government to effect prison decongestion in parts of the country.
Speaking after a recent visit to the Nigeria Prisons, the chief judge, who said that the exercise was not aimed to short circuit court trial, added that the inmates were granted freedom either for unlawful arrest and detention, or civil cases that required no detention.
He also said implement of arrest of some of the inmates were not available, adding that facts supplied for arrested three juveniles that were detained for allegedly belonging to a group of armed robbers did not support the fact.
Justice Kawu, who said that he would pay regular visits to the prisons to effect decongestion, advised those freed inmates to engage in meaningful ventures and urged them to desist from any act that is capable of sending them back to the prison.
Another issue of concern was the jailing of minors who are supposed to be in remand homes put together in cells with adults.
Four of such minors got their freedom during the visit with a warning that they should be released to their parents or a guardian to ensure they are in proper and capable hands.
Also speaking, the officer in charge of Ilorin Prison, DCP Adeyinka Adebayo, said that facilities were overstretched adding that over population had resulted in different kind of diseases like scabies. Many inmates especially at the OkeKura prisons were affected.
In his response, the Chief Judge said, “We observe over time, that most of the inmates have skin disease and we urge the authorities to take steps to arrest the situation before it spreads to other inmates. Whatever we feel that the state government can do for you as requested, we will try our best to contact to fulfil the promise of providing vehicle for you and to take urgent steps to for medical inputs to treat those inmates who are sick.
“We have gone through the list of a total of 182 inmates consisting of convicted and awaiting trial and we have come to a decision, upon examination that 15 inmates deserve of being released in custody. The basis of our decision to release them is mainly because we are of the view that their detention is manifestly unlawful. We have seen that some of the cases are civil in nature and not criminal which will not attract any arrest or detention.
“We also observed that in some cases, the instruments of arraignment are either defective or not available. No proceeding can issue out of invalid instruments. So we have taken steps to release these inmates,” he said.
One other thing that was noticed at the Mandala prison is that some inmates had been affected psychologically. Some are seeing to be having psychiatric issues especially with their responses to the Chief Judge enquiry to them.
On the whole, the situation in Nigeria prisons demand urgent attention from government, private and individuals before it gets out of hand.
Some observers said even if they are convicts, they demand a little comfort as they serve their terms because some of them when freed usually can still be useful and contribute meaningfully to the society.