The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade Wednesday freed 153 inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prison.
Three of the released inmated have been standing trial for over 15 years.
While 24 of the inmates were released from the Maximum prison, 129 were released from the medium prison.
Among the 129 inmates released from the Medium prison, 79 were standing trial for capital offences while 50 were standing trial for minor offences.
Justice Atilade in her remark said the amnesty extended to the released inmates was part of her statutory duty to continuosly ensure that the prisons are decongested.
She urged the beneficiaries of her amnesty exercise to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that they do not return back to crime.
The Chief Judge also enjoined all relevant stakeholders in the justice sector to joined the prison decongestion effort.
Justice Atilade was accompanied on the visit by senior judges from the state judiciary, officials of the Lagos Ministry of Justice, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, various Non Governmental Organisation and representatives of the Nigerian Police.
In his remark, the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Seye Oduntan thanked the CJ for the amnesty gesture. He pleaded with the CJ to ensure that the programme is a continous one as more inmates who qualify for the exercise still abound in the prison.
Statistic posted on the notice board of the Maximum cell showed the prison with a 1053 capacity currently has 1235 inmates. While 772 of the inmates are awaiting trial, 83 are serving life sentence, 209 have been convicted while 171 are condemned prisoners.
At the Medium prison which has a 1700 cell capacity, 2853 inmates are currently at the prison. 2726 are awaiting trial, 128 have been convicted, 25 are lodgers, 19 are detainees while only one inmate is condemned.
