The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye has released 57 inmates who were awaiting trial, allowing them to return to their families.
The chief judge on Friday explained that the inmates released included six who were granted bail, nine who had no charges against them, and 42 who were freed unconditionally due to health issues or minor offenses.
This decision was made during his official visit to the Federal Correctional Centre in Ado Ekiti, where he reviewed a total of 518 cases, consisting of 511 male and seven female inmates.
Justice Ogunmoye urged the released inmates to act as positive representatives of the community, warning that the law would address any troublemakers in Ekiti State.
He expressed gratitude to various stakeholders, including the Legal Unit of the Nigerian Police Force, Ekiti State Command; the Director of Public Prosecutions; private and public lawyers; court registrars; and others for their support.
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Additionally, he praised the Comptroller of Corrections, Olufemi Okuseinde, for ensuring a clean environment and maintaining the health of the inmates.
Okuseinde remarked that the chief judge’s visit and actions provided relief for some inmates and highlighted the overcrowding issue at the center, which currently houses 922 inmates, far exceeding its capacity of 324.
She advocated for the construction of more facilities to accommodate inmates properly, urging the chief judge and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata SAN, to leverage their positions to create additional cells and buildings for better inmate classification.
According to her, this would facilitate effective sentence planning, rehabilitation, and reform.
