ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called upon the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to reconsider a plan that involves allocating N500 million to cover fines for 4,000 convicts in an effort to alleviate overcrowding in Nigerian prisons.
Tunji-Ojo recently unveiled the Federal Government of Nigeria’s strategy to ease congestion in correctional centers nationwide by ensuring the payment of fines imposed on no fewer than 4,000 convicts from various courts across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, amounting to N500 million.
However, Falana opposes this approach and suggests that the government should invest the allocated funds in prison rehabilitation efforts.
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He recommends collaborating with the attorney general and state governors to grant clemency to the inmates instead.
“While the Interior Minister deserves commendation for the initiative we are compelled to call for a review of the plan” Falana said on Sunday, October 22 on Channels Television.
“The N500 million earmarked for payment of fines should be spent on the welfare of inmates in the correctional centres while alternative decongestion policies are considered.”
“The Minister may also wish to request the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chief Judges of all the States and the Federal Capital Territory to visit the correctional centres and exercise their powers under the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act by ordering the release of all inmates whose detention is either manifestly unlawful; or who have been in custody, whether on remand or otherwise, for periods longer than the maximum period of imprisonment which they could have served had they been convicted of the offences in respect of which they are detained.
“However, it is pertinent to draw the attention of the Interior Minister to the plight of the scores of inmates who are languishing in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre as their case files were destroyed when the Magistrate Court and High Court buildings were burnt during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. As the nation marks the third year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, we urge the Interior Minister to ensure the immediate release of such inmates since the State can no longer prosecute them as their cases have been burnt.”