Nigeria’s Attorney General and Ministry of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) has appealed to state Governors to decongest Prisons in their various states as parts of efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
AG Malami made this appeal in a letter where he urged the governors to speed up the release of inmates from various prisons.
The letters dated April 9 was titled: ‘Urgent need for speedy decongestion of custodial centres’.
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According to AG Malami, available records showed that there were 74, 127 inmates in prisons across Nigeria.52,226 of these are individuals awaiting trial.
Malami expressed displeasure at the fact that some of the prisons are overstretched as the number of inmates incarcerated are way beyond the limits of the facilities.
The AG noted that this development posed a huge threat to the health of the inmates as well as the general public.
“Mr President requests all executive governors to request their state chief judges to embark on visits to all correctional/custodial centres within their respective states to identify and release deserving inmates where that has not been done already. ”
An excerpt from the letter read.
The AG also appealled to Judges to consider the conditional or unconditional release of every inmate awaiting trial in prisons, who have spent at least 6 years in custody.
He also appealled for the release of inmates who have not been found guilty of criminal offences brought against them.
Other inmates recommended for release include the aged, low risk offenders and everyone else with no legal basis for remaining in custody.
Inmates convicted for minor offenses with or without option of fines as well as those who have less than three years to serve for offenses that attract five years jail term and above were also recommend for release.
“payment of fines may be made in favour of inmates convicted of lesser offences with option of fine.” Malami said further.
He said President Buhari has approved the setting up of committees by the state governors for prerogative of mercy and clemency of prisoners in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution.