80% of prison inmates in Lagos are awaiting trials

No fewer than 4746 or about 80 per cent of the 5707 inmates in Lagos prisons are awaiting trials, according to an investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Figures obtained indicate that the five prisons in Lagos State – Kirikiri Maximum, Kirikiri (Female) Medium, Kirikiri Minimum, Ikoyi and Badagry – have a total of 5707 inmates, and have exceeded their total capacity of 2692 by about 52 per cent. 

A breakdown of the figures showed that Kirikiri Maximum with a capacity for 803, presently houses1056 inmates-- 516 of whom were awaiting trials.

Kirikiri Medium was hosting 2402 inmates, out of which 2239 were awaiting trials. It was built to accommodate 824. 

Also, Kirikiri Female Prison (Minimum), which was built to accommodate 105 inmates, now has 213 inmates, 167 of whom were waiting trials. 

It was learnt that over 90 per cent or 1610 of the 1761 inmates in Ikoyi Prison were awaiting trials. Ikoyi Prison was built to accommodate 800 inmates.

The  Badagry Prison, which was built to house 160, has 275 inmates, out of which 214 were awaiting trials.

Investigations revealed that the Lagos State Prisons Command also lacked utility vehicles needed for conveying detainees to the courts, thus hampering the administration of justice in the state.

It was gathered that the utility vehicles donated to each of the five prisons by the Lagos State Government about eight years ago were in a state of disrepair.

When contacted, Chuks Njoku, spokesman of the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service, said that the service was doing everything possible to ensure that the inmates were healthy.

According to the prisons spokesman, the inmates were being well fed and receiving prompt medical attention, while the appropriate authorities were looking into prison congestion.

Source: News Wire