Aruoture Pleads with Okowa to Pardon Inmates, to Decongest Correctional Centres

Sylvester Idowu

Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has been urged to decongest the overcrowded Correctional Centres in Delta State, by offering clemency to deserving inmates.

The immediate past Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Warri Branch, Mr John Aruoture, made the appeal in a statement made available to journalists in Warri. He said the step was necessary not only to decongest the Centres, but to give a second chance to some of the inmates who have truly and genuinely repented, and are already role models even in the Centres.

“Part of my practice involves the court-appointed pro bono Public defence of some indigent Defendants, being tried for sundry criminal charges.

“This aspect of my legal practice necessitates visits to some of the five custodial Centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service, located in Delta State. By virtue of these visits and resultant interviews of officials and prisoners, the need to decongest the overcrowded prisons and their over-burdened facilities have become pertinent.

“From available data, all over the nation, there are approximately 74,127 inmates in the nation’s Correctional Centres. About 52,226 are pre-trial inmates, 21,901 are convicts, with some of these convicts on death row.

“While the Federal Government has embarked on the exercise of granting pardon/clemency to convicts of Federal crimes, our beloved Delta State also needs to carry out a similar exercise for convicts of State crimes.

“This urgent need necessitated this passionate appeal to Your Excellency, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State.

Excellency needs to create a careful balance between ascertaining the befitting inmates of the Correctional Centres that should be reintegrated into the society, and the need to keep the society safe.

“However, there are inmates that have truly repented, and others who have spent so much time in the Correctional Centres and could be said to have duly paid for their crimes.

“In addition, there are inmates who have become sources of positive influence/role models in many positive ways, in the various Correctional Centres.

“Some of these inmates have become Pastors and Imams etc. in the Correctional Centres, and have dedicated their lives to the service of God and humanity.

“I humbly opine that such inmates may rightly be given a second chance, and a window of opportunity to be reintegrated into the society”, he pleaded.

The Warri-based Lawyer, however, suggested that after release, the inmates should be given the mandate to report to an administrative body for a probation period of between six months and two years, until it is evident that they have truly turned a new leaf.