Ogun Assembly urges Chief Justice to review court cases, decongest correctional centers
Concerned by the need to address overcrowding in correctional centres, the Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution imploring the State Chief Judge and the State Ministry of Justice to conduct a comprehensive review of cases in all categories of courts in the state.
According to the House, the move is aimed at easing the plight of inmates and improving the overall justice system in the state.
The resolution, sponsored by the Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye, followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sherif, and seconded by Lawal Samsideen during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Oludaisi Elemide, at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.
Opening debate on the motion leading to the passage of the resolution, Adeleye lamented: “Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that Ogun State is one of the most congested in terms of inmates.
“The statistics further revealed that out of the 84,741 national inmate population, Ogun State tops the list of inmates on death row with 568 (also confirmed by the NCoS spokesperson).
“This alarming figures may be due to the financial pressure on the federal government, industrialization, population, proximity, crime rates, judicial processes, and the administrative actions of state governments, particularly the signing of death warrants or approval of clemency requests.”
Contributing, other members, including Honourables Oluseun Adesanya, Babatunde Tella, Adebisi Oyedele and Damilola Soneye, urged the Chief Judge and the State Ministry of Justice to step up measures to identify cases that could be expedited and resolved through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, while reviewing bail applications and considering the release of inmates who meet the necessary criteria.
They appealed to all concerned stakeholders to fast-track the administrative process of examining cases of inmates who have served a significant portion of their sentences and consider possibilities for parole or pardon/clemency, while streamlining the judicial process to reduce delays and ensure timely justice delivery.
Ogun Assembly urges Chief Justice to review court cases, decongest correctional centers
