OSUN STATE: Attorney General Hon. Wole Jimi-Bada Tours State Correctional Facilities, Set To Decongest Prison

… Osun State Attorney General says,  his visit is premised upon the directives of  Governor Ademola Adeleke to decongest correctional centres in the State.

The Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Honourable Wole Jimi-bada had reiterated the Position of Governor Ademola Adeleke to newsmen immediately after the conclusion of his visit to Ilesha and Ile-ife Correctional Centres.

While fielding questions from our correspondent at Ilesha, Hon. Wole Jimi-bada was quoted as saying his tour to the Correctional Center was to actualize the directives given to him by Gov. Ademola Adeleke to decongest the correctional centres at both Ilesha and Ile-Ife in Osun State.

Hon. Wole Jimi-Bada maintained further that the sole directives of the Governor came out on the heels of  the fallout of the security committee meeting held sometime ago —where it was tabled that there’s a dire need to decongest the Correctional Centres in the State.

When asked, perhaps, if Governor Adeleke would grant pardons to any prisoner in fulfilment of the Governor’s constitutional power as enshrined in section 212 of the Constitution, Hon Wole Jimi-Bada said; “at the instance of Governor Adeleke, a Prerogative of Mercy Committee shall be constituted where the Governor would be the Chairman, and myself a member, and other critical stakeholders in the State members too”.

For the purpose of your questions, it is imperative to say in clear terms that the convicted inmates do not fall within the purview of Mr Governor’s intervention.

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Speaking further, “I can assure you that only those among the inmates whom I have interrogated, and after I would have studied the nitty gritty of their case, and convinced without equivocation that there’s miscarriage of Justice shall be considered for pardon”, he said.

Similarly, “we shall consider recommendations from the prison authorities for pardons of convicts based on criteria like ill-health, old age and as well, good behaviour. Those who have been of good behaviour”, the Attorney General further Clarified.

It was reliably gathered by The  Eaglesforesight that during the Attorney General’s visit to the Correctional Centre at Ile-Ife, the case of a 15-year-old inmate whose name would be shielded for the purpose of this publication caught the swift attention of the Attorney General.

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And  as revealed from sources available within the Correctional Facility, the Attorney General promised to intervene on the grounds of his age, i.e, why he ( minor) was brought to the Correctional Centre without exploring alternative retribution for him which is still within the ambit of the law and, also if for any other need, yet in line with the law, seeks to end his plight.

During the tour, “Hon. Wole Jimi-Bada, was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Osun State Ministry of Justice Mrs Fadekemi Adejare Bello, Departmental Directors and some legal practitioners of the Ministry.”

They were all warmly received by the Comptroller of the Correctional Facility DCC Aremu Adegboyega Olayinka. The Comptroller was quoted to have extolled the Governor of the State, His Excellency Senator Ademola Adeleke, as a man who made his words his bond.

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Comptroller Aremu Adegboyega expressed further that he had met with the Governor sometime ago to brief him on the increasing numbers of inmates in the Facility which is already overstretched, and the danger it poses if not promptly addressed.

The Comptroller of Ilesha Medium Security Custodial Centre equally seized the Attorney General’s visit to reel out the numerical analyses of inmates who now stand at staggering number of 766 which is in stark contrast to the supposed 300 capacity it was built for.

Similarly, it was gathered, that the Correctional Centre at Ile-Ife meant for 150 inmates is currently overstretched as it now holds nearly 300 inmates.

Source: HeraldersTimes