Lagos CJ orders repatriation of freed foreign inmates

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has ordered the repatriation of five foreign nationals who were part of the 38 newly freed inmate from the Ikoyi and Badagry custodial centres.

The CJ made the order during an open court session he presided over on the premises of the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Igbosere, where the inmates were pardoned.

The foreign nationals include two from Benin Republic, two from Niger Republic and one from Togo.

Alogba, who noted that the exercise was in line with the efforts of the Federal Government to decongest prisons as part of efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, explained that he granted the inmates pardon pursuant to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act.

Read also: Lagos CJ worried over delayed trials, says petty offenders will no longer be jailed

He called on the freed inmates to be of good behaviour, adding that harsher punishment awaited them if caught committing crimes again.

Speaking on the development, the Controller of the Lagos Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Samuel Iyakoregha, said the release of the inmates was a relief to the facilities.

“Exercises like this are very needful because we use them to control our inmates to be of good behaviour and bring some kind of relief to them,” he added.

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