The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agodi Prison

  • Oyo CJ releases 84 inmates from Agodi Prison

    Oyo CJ releases 84 inmates from Agodi Prison

    The Chief Judge (CJ) of Oyo State, Justice Muntar Abimbola, has released 84 inmates from Agodi Prison in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Of the figure, 67 were released after they had reportedly overstayed their terms in custody as well as on compassionate ground.

    The CJ said 10 others were released on health grounds, following the recommendations of a collaborative effort between the state chapters of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), while seven others were released on the ground that they had no case to answer, which was also on the recommendation of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

    Those released on health grounds, according to prison officials, include one person suffering from chronic renal disease, two people diagnosed of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis, two suspected renal disease patients, one incarcerate scrotal hynea, one HIV/AIDS patient, one asthma and tuberculosis (TB) patient, one TB and lobar pneumonia patient.

    More than four others had TB.

    All the released inmates were men.

    The amnesty, according to the CJ, was in exercise of his powers to visit the prisons and see how proceedings and trial of inmates had been going.

    He said this would also help to decongest the prison.

    The session, which held for about eight hours at the hall inside the Agodi Prisons, was witnessed by top judicial officers, prison officials, officials of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), the attorney-general, lawyers, prosecutors, police and officials of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    Justice Abimbola said: “This exercise, which is statutory, is expected to be frequent but as a result of other official duties and demand of the office, it is coming up now. This provisional visit is in exercise of a statutory provision to get trial inmates speedy trials and get the prison decongested.

    “It is important and essential for us to visit the prisons, not necessarily to decongest the prison but to ensure inmates are given speedy trials. The power to decongest prison is not at our whims and caprices..”

  • Court remands sexagenarian in prison for raping teenager

    Court remands sexagenarian in prison for raping teenager

    An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo on Tuesday remanded a sexagenarian, Rafiu Olalekan in Agodi Prison for alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl .

    The Magistrate, Modupeola Olagbenro in her ruling remanded Olalekan in the prison pending the outcome of the case file at the state Directorate of Public Prosecution ( DPP ) as her court does not have jurisdiction to try the case.

    She, thereafter, adjourned the case till January 10, 2018 for mention.

    Report says Olalekan, a farmer from Abedo village near Moniya, Ibadan, is facing a one – count charge of unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.

    The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Oluseye Oyebanji told the court that Olalekan on November 20, at about 8 pm at Abedo village allegedly had unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl in his neighborhood.

    According to Oyebanji, Olalekan was alleged to have been having carnal knowledge of the victim mostly on her way back from school.

    Read also:  Rape: 13-year-old victim’s father cries out for justice

    “On the fateful day, the victim who stays with her grandmother, was running errand for her when Olalekan waylaid her and had carnal knowledge of her without her consent.

    “When the victim’s grandmother could not see her on time, she raised alarm before the victim was seen with Rafiu with the help of the villagers in an uncompleted building,” he said.

    Oyebanji said the offence was reported to the police by the victim’s mother, one Mrs Olaide Kehinde of Sapati area,Yemetu, Ibadan.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened section 218 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol .II, Laws of Oyo State 2000.

    NAN

  • Man jailed for stealing mosquito nets

    Man jailed for stealing mosquito nets

    A Mapo Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday jailed a 20-year-old man, Olalekan Adebisi, for six months for stealing 50 pieces of mosquito nets.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Mercy Aderounmu noted that the convict had already spent five months in Agodi Prison due to his inability to perfect the bail conditions of N50, 000 earlier granted him.

    The magistrate said that the convict would now do a community service for four weeks within the court premises.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adebisi of no fixed address was first arraigned on June 7 on a count charge of stealing.

    He then pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail with two sureties in like sum, but could not perfect the bail conditions.

    Adebisi later changed his plea to guilty on Nov. 13, after spending five months in prison custody, and the case was adjourned until Nov. 20 for facts and sentences.

    Presenting the facts before the court on Monday, the prosecutor, Cpl. Philip Amusan, said that Adebisi on May 30 jumped the fence of Bode Health Centre, Ibadan, and stole 50 pieces of mosquito nets.

    Amusan further said that Adebisi on June 3 at about 5.00 a.m came back to the health centre and scaled the fence in an attempt to steal again.

    He said Adebisi was arrested in the process by one of the security guards attached to the health centre and was later handed over to the police.

    The prosecutor further told the court that Adebisi sold the nets through hawking to some buyers he could not be identified.

    Amusan said that the offence contravened Section 509 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State 2000.

  • Ibadan-based broadcaster, four others arraigned over alleged murder

    Ibadan-based broadcaster, four others arraigned over alleged murder

    An Iyaganku Chief  Magistrates’ Court  in Ibadan on Tuesday remanded an ace broadcaster  in Ibadan, Oriyomi Hamzat , 37, and four others in Agodi prison for alleged murder.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that  Hamzat,  Idowu Ibrahim ,27;  Mohammed Bashir, 31;  Taiwo Olaronke ,23;  and Yusuf Toheeb Ajisafe, 23, were arraigned  on a two- count charge of conspiracy and murder.

    The Prosecutor, Insp Sunday Fatola,  told the court that  the accused  all conspired to commit the offences.

    He alleged that  the accused  unlawfully caused the death of  a  17-year-old simply identified as Peter by inflicting an injury on his head and body.

    The prosecutor said Peter, who had been an inmate in a  home set up by the  “Make a Future Alive Initiative”  owned by Hamzat,  was found dead in the facility.

    Fatola said the alleged offences were  committed on July 21  at about 4am at  the facility located at  Oremeji Agugu in  Ibadan.

    He said the offences  contravened  Sections  324 and 316 and were punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol .II,  Laws of Oyo State,  2000.

    The court, however, did not take the plea of the accused and  the Chief  Magistrate, Mr Abdulateef Adebisi,  remanded the accused  in Agodi prison.

    He also  ordered  the duplication of the case file  to enable a copy to be sent to  the Directorate of Public Prosecution  for legal advice.

    Adebisi adjourned the case till Sept. 5 for mention

  • Oyo govt to free over 150 sick inmates at Agodi Prison

    The Oyo State government, in conjunction with the University Teaching Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, yesterday began the decongestion of the Agodi Prisons with over 150 ailing inmates.

    The inmates are: awaiting trials, those who have concluded their cases and those who have been convicted.

    Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner Olusegun Abimbola at a screening of the inmates on the prison premises, said the process would ascertain the medical fitness of the inmates and enable Governor Abiola Ajimobi to decongest the prison.

    Abimbola said the prison intervention programme would help those who have concluded their jail terms and others.

    He said: “The essence of this programme is to keep a better environment and decongest the prison. Forty per cent of the people here have completed their cases. Agodi Prison was built for just 350, but as at the last statistics we received from the prison, we have over 1,200 here.

    “We also come up with the prison intervention programme to listen to some of them and recommend to the state government how to decongest the prison.”