Comptroller Calls for Commuting of 168 Inmates' Death Sentences to Life Imprisonment
The Comptroller of Prisons, Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), CP Tinuoye Olumide, has called on both the Federal Government and the judiciary to convert the life sentences of 168 condemned inmates in the command to life imprisonment.
Olumide made this call at the welcome ceremony organised by the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons (DCP), Kirikiri Female Prisons, Mrs. Lizzie Ekpendu, for him in Lagos.
DCP Ekpendu, who said her desire was to see the judiciary set free those on awaiting trial list so that they could fulfill their destinies, added that they decided to host the new comptroller to intimate him on the needs of the residents of the prison.
Fielding questions from journalists afterwards, the CP, who recently resumed work in Lagos, unveiled his plans for the command and the prisoners, especially the condemned ones.
THISDAY gathered that the 168 condemned inmates are spread across the Maximum and Minimum Prisons in Kirikiri Town, Apapa, as well as the Ikoyi Prisons.
On the major challenge he plans to tackle first he said, "First, the problem we have majorly is that of awaiting trials. Now that I have come to Lagos, I would like to liaise with Ministry of Justice most importantly so that inmates who have stayed longer don’t have any reason to be in the prisons.
"Another thing, I definitely want to address is the issue of condemned prisoners. As I speak now, we have a total of 168 condemned inmates.
"Globally as it were, nations are gradually leaving the issue of killing people even when such committed an offence.
"I think that is a general thing. I would like to ensure that those who are condemned, their sentences are converted to life imprisonment.
"By that, we would be able to decongest the cell where they are. We have a lot of prisons that can take life imprisonment inmates. That is definitely what we are going to do."
Given the recent issue of jail breaks in some states he said, "When people say prison break, to us that are working in the prisons, it means that the inmates in the prisons rioted and they broke the jail and got away.