Lagos Chief Judge grants amnesty to 80 underage inmates 

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, on Tuesday granted amnesty to 80 under age inmates of the Badagry Prisons, Lagos State.

The minors, aged between 12 and 17 years, were said to have been arrested and charged with offences bordering on breach of public peace.

Justice Atilade remarked the amnesty granted the underage was in tandem with the resolution of the judiciary to protect Child Rights and also decongest prisons nationwide.

Only 28 names out of the 80 minors released on Tuesday were sent to the Lagos State Prisons Decongestion Committee headed by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye for a review of their cases.

National Daily gathered that a visit to the prison showed that 90 per cent of the inmates in the prisons were actually under-age and the chief judge had to painstakingly review more cases together with her team.

Justice Atilade, who was very surprised at the total number of minors in that prison, condemned the act of imprisoning under-age irrespective of their offences.
While setting the inmates free, the chief judge admonished them to be of good behaviour and to “go and sin no more.

“I pronounce, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1(1) of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, 2007 as well as Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, you are all hereby released from custody,” Atilade said.