The Senate is taking steps to review the administration of justice system to ensure the decongestion of prisons across Nigeria.
A lawmaker, Senator Babajide Omoworare (ACN-Osun) on Wednesday introduced a bill to amend the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act 2004 to make it mandatory for the Comptroller General of Prisons to send monthly reports of the entire prison inmates to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and States Chief Judges.
The bill, which scaled its second reading, proposed two amendments in Section 3 and Section 2 of the 35-year-old Act.
In his lead debate, Senator Omoworare said the bill would address the nagging issue of prison decongestion in the country, where 70 per cent of inmates are said to be awaiting trial.
“We are all aware of the various efforts by past governments in the country to tackle this thorny issue to no avail.
“These measures, culminated in the inauguration of an intervention fund of N8.7 billion, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Justice in 2006, which fetched no tangible result.’’
The senator explained that the proposed amendments would make “it mandatory for the Comptroller General of Prisons, to timely send monthly returns of the entire inmates of the prisons to the CJN and the Chief Judge of the relevant state.
“The Chief Judge shall on the basis of that return, order the release of inmates, who fall into the category covered by the Act,’’ he said.
The proposed law is to ensure that the Chief Justice shall on the basis of that report, order the release of inmates who are detained unlawfully or detained longer than the maximum period of imprisonment.
