'Our Journey to Prison' - Freed Kirikiri Inmates
 Justice Ayotunde Philips | Lagos September 23, 2012 Last Tuesday, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Philips, freed 233 inmates awaiting trial in both the Medium and Maximum prisons in Kirikiri, Lagos during a visit to the facilities as part of activities marking the start of the 2012/2013 Legal Year. In this report, Paul Dada spoke with some of the freed inmates who revealed how they ended up incarcerated. The “Thank you ma,” “God bless you ma” and allied appreciative expressions from the freed inmates were simply deafening. Although there was no decibel measuring equipment in sight, many at the Kikikiri Medium and Maximum Prisons last Tuesday would say that a World record of a kind must have been set by the freed awaiting trial inmates of these correctional facilities as they raised their voices to high heaven. The freed men were thanking the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Philips, who set them free on that fateful day. Her Lordship was certainly unaccustomed to such ear-splitting cacophony that greeted her pronouncement freeing the 233 inmates incarcerated in the prisons for periods ranging from four to 13 years. Among the freed inmates, 130 were from the Maximum Prison while 103 were from the Minimum prison. At the Medium Security Prisons, there were 2,502 inmates out of which 2, 378 were awaiting trial. |
One of them, Saminu Lawal, a 32-year-old printer, alleged that he was only a victim of police conspiracy. Lawal told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND: “I have been here since 2000. They charged me with armed robbery. But I am not an armed robber.
My friend and I were coming from an all-night party at Ajah, at about 6:00a.m. and we were accosted by the police who said we were armed robbers. “They arrested and detained us. We called our family members who were equally detained for a while. They asked us to pay N200,000 for our freedom and later they reduced it N120, 000. Similarly, 34-year-old trailer driver turned Kirikiri inmate, Mr. Emmanuel Etim, said he only ended up in jail by sheer misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I am married with two children who are in Calabar now. I myself will go to Calabar since I have been released.”
52-year-old Edet Okon is a convicted armed robber who has been in prison since 1985. He pleaded with government to show mercy him and others in his shoes. “I am the head of tailors in prison. I train other tailors. I promise I will not go back to crime if I am released,” he pleaded.
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