THE Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, has approved the release of 246 inmates from various correctional facilities across the State and the committal of death sentence for 39 inmates to life imprisonment.
The Governor signed the release and committal orders on December 20, 2023, in cognisance of the New Year Celebrations.
The exercise is according to the provisions of Section 212 (1) (2) of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria (amended).
It is worth noting that the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, in reaching its recommendations, exercised due diligence in its deliberation of the applications in line with the applicable guidelines. The Council took note of the information provided by the correctional authorities, the nature of the offence, period of incarceration, age, health and behavioural conduct of the inmates.
The approval for the release of the inmates is in line with the commitment of Sanwo-Olu to decongest correctional facilities in Lagos State as part of the Justice Sector Reforms.
