Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday
released 12 prisoners in the state in furtherance of the law
establishing the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of
Mercy.
The prisoners who have spent between 20 and 34-years at
the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Apapa were released
based on the advice of the State Advisory Council on
Prerogative of Mercy.
The inmates were said to have satisfied basic conditions
such as remorse, good behaviour and readiness to
contribute meaningfully to the society.
While handing over the release order from the Governor to
the Lagos Prisons Command, Chairman of the State
Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Professor Oyelowo
Oyewo, who represented Governor Ambode at the event told
newsmen that the release of the inmates was in line with
the commitment of the present administration to the ideals
of the justice sector reforms through prison decongestion.
According to him, the exercise was in pursuant to the
provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which
empowered the Governor to exercise prerogative of mercy,
and also to offer hope to such inmates who had
demonstrated capacity to be re-absorbed into the society.
“The Advisory Council On Prerogative of Mercy is
established under the Laws of Lagos State pursuant to the
powers of the Governor under the Constitution to exercise
prerogative of mercy. The Council meets to consider
applications for the exercise of prerogative of mercy that is
forwarded through the Nigerian Prisons authority.
“Basically, in exercising this there are guidelines that are set
and some of these include looking at the period that has
been served by the inmates and for hard capital offences,
such inmates must have served for a sufficient period of
time and the reason is that the Council in the guidelines try
to balance various interests such as that of the community,
the family of the victims and also the interest of the
administration of criminal justice and justice reform to
ensure that prisoners are reformed and rehabilitated.
He also added that “It also includes transformation in the
life of the prisoner because there must be remorse and
acknowledgment of the fact that something wrong had been
done and then the prisoner must also have acquired some
skills to show that he is ready to be rehabilitated into the
society.
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