COVID-19: Kwara CJ grants 46 prison inmates amnesty 

Kwara State Chief Judge, Justice Sulyman Durosylorun Kawu, on Wednesday, granted amnesty to 46 awaiting trial inmates at the Oke-Kura maximum and Mandala Medium Correctional Services Centres in Ilorin, the state capital.

The exercise was part of the national strategies by the federal government aimed at decongesting the centres to mitigate the community transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Justice Kawu during the exercise noted that careful examination of the inmates’ case files showed that their detention was “manifestly unlawful.”

He granted outright release to 18 prison inmates of Oke-Kura and Mandala Correctional Centres with another 28 others released on bail and relaxed bail conditions.

The exercise according to the Chief Judge was carried out after deliberations with concerned magistrate’s area court judges, and police prosecutors over list of awaiting trial inmates of the centres submitted to him.

“The first set of people that were outrightly released was because we found out that their detention was either manifestly unlawful or basis of their detention is civil and not criminal or that they are minor offences and they had been there for quite some time, some since 2017,” he disclosed.

“The second batch was granted bail and for those who have been granted bail, I have asked the magistrates or the Area court judges to relax and review their bail conditions, so that they can call their people to effect their release,” the CJ added.

Justice Kawu said, “Some were asked to produce two sureties, I have asked the magistrates or the Area court judges to reduce it to one so that they can quickly process their release.”

He advised the beneficiaries of the amnesty to turn a new leaf and shun all criminal activities, especially for those who have been granted outright release.

“As they journey therefore from captivity to freedom, they should make themselves useful by contributing meaningfully to the well being of their families and the society at large.

“To the second batch, I urge them not to abscond or attempt to abscond from justice, as the long arm of the law will catch up with them no matter how long it takes if they do. They should endeavour to attend all court sittings until their trials are finally concluded,” he further advised.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Adebisi Adewale Francis, the state Comptroller of correctional centres , said there had been no reported case of Covid-19 infection in any of the centres in the state, but urged the government to instruct the management of government hospitals to provide free treatment to inmates in the centres.

DAILY POST recalls that 101 inmates in the same Oke-Kura and Mandala correctional centres in Ilorin, were recently granted executive pardon by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in compliance with the Federal government’s directive on prison de-congestion to curtail the community spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

While 83 inmates were outrightly released, 16 inmates on death sentence had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment and two of such had outright release.