The recent visit of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM to Olokuta Medium Prison in Akure, the Ondo state capital to grant amnesty to some prisoners, has attracted reactions from some lawyers.
The lawyers say more proactive steps should be taken by government to decongest overcrowded prisons across Nigeria.
Olokuta Medium Prison in Akure, Ondo State, is one of the many prisons in Nigeria which was established in 1988, it was built to house one hundred and sixty inmates bu today the story has changed
Olokuta medium prison now accommodates more than eight hundred and fifty inmates.
This situation informed the decision of government to empower a committee that will ensure decongestion of prisons in the country.
The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), which has been moving round the country, was in Ondo State to carry-out the task of freeing some inmates.
Lawyers have urged the government to put in place machinery, that will aid quick dispensation of justice in courts.
They believe that government’s move to decongest prisons, should be given greater bite to ensure that many inmates awaiting trial at different courts, are not allowed to stay behind bars unnecessarily.
