The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Justice Atilade

  • Ambode lauds executive and judiciary cooperation in Lagos

    Ambode lauds executive and judiciary cooperation in Lagos

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said on Monday the harmonious working relationship between the state executive and the judiciary had contributed to the rapid development of the state.

    Ambode made the remark when the state Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, led other senior judges and magistrates in the state on a courtesy call to his office at Lagos House, Ikeja.

    Justice Atilade visited Ambode to officially notify the governor of her impending retirement as the state’s chief judge.

    She will officially retire from service on September 22.

    Ambode said: “The cordial relationship between the judiciary and the executive arm of government has really put Lagos State on the pedestal of prosperity.

    “It has been a fantastic relationship with you as the chief judge, especially in the areas of security and judicial sector reforms.

    “We have achieved so much together in these areas as there has been peaceful co-existence among residents.

    “We have also increased the number of judges and magistrates for effective judicial functions in the last two years of my administration as governor.

    “I commend the judiciary under your tenure.

    “You have been totally confident and independent in your operations and it has continued to make the state a pacesetter in terms of how the judiciary should operate.”

    The governor promised to improve welfare packages for retired judges in the state, saying they could still contribute their experience and expertise to the service of the state.

    “I promise that the welfare of retired judges will be improved.

    “They can still be called upon to serve the state and continue to contribute their wealth of experience and expertise for the state’s development.

    “I appeal for continuity in the judiciary. Reforms in the judicial sector is continuous and the government is committed to boosting the capacity of the state judiciary,’’ he added.

    Earlier, Justice Atilade thanked Ambode for his commitment to improving the operations of the judiciary in the state during her tenure as chief judge.

    She appealed for an increment in the running cost of the judiciary for efficiency.

    NAN

  • Lagos CJ frees 153 prison inmates

    Lagos CJ frees 153 prison inmates

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade Wednesday granted freedom to 153 awaiting trial inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons.

    The inmates who have been awaiting trial for three years and above were released under the prerogative of power vested on her pursuant to provision of section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act Cap C40, 2007 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria‎.

    While 24 of the inmates were released from the Maximum prison, 129 were released from the medium prison.

    Among the 129 inmates released from the Medium prison, 79 were standing trial for capital offences while 50 were standing trial for minor offences.

    Three of the inmates released from the Medium prison have been awaiting trial for over 16 years.

    Justice Atilade in her remark said the amnesty extended to the released inmates was part of her statutory duty to continuously ensure that the prisons are decongested.

    She urged the beneficiaries of her amnesty exercise to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that they do not engage in any activity that would return back to crime.

    The Chief Judge also enjoined all relevant stakeholders in the justice sector to join the prison decongestion effort by taking up pro bono service for those who cannot pay for lawyers.

    Justice Atilade was accompanied on the visit by senior judges from the state judiciary, officials of the Lagos Ministry of Justice, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, various Non Governmental Organisation and representatives of the Nigerian Police.

    In his remark, the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Seye Oduntan thanked the CJ for the amnesty gesture.

    He pleaded with the CJ to ensure that the programme is a continuous one as more inmates who qualify for the exercise still abound in the prison.

    The Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Timothy Tinuoye pleaded with Justice Atilade to use her office to prevail on the authority concerned to do something about 171 condemned prisoners awaiting execution in the Maximum security prison.

    Recalling the condemnation that followed the decision of the Edo state government approving execution of some condemned criminals a few years ago, Tinuoye lamented that every governor have since then refused to sign the warrant for the execution of the condemned criminals.

    He pleaded that if governments are not ready to execute them, the authority concerned should move them out of Lagos in order to decongest the Prison.

    The Kirikiri Maximum Prison built with a capacity for 1,056 presently has 1235 inmates. While 772 of the inmates are awaiting trial, 83 are serving life sentence, 209 have been convicted while 171 are condemned prisoners.

    At the Medium prison which has a 1700 cell capacity, 2853 inmates are currently at the prison. Out of this, 2,726 are awaiting trial, 128 have been convicted, 25 are lodgers, 19 are detainees while only one inmate is condemned.

     

  • 26 Ikoyi prison inmates regain freedom

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, on Thursday released 26 awaiting trial inmates from Ikoyi Prison.

    This brought to 47 the number of awaiting trials granted freedom by the chief judge.

    She released 21 inmates from the Medium Security Prisons, Kirikiri, on Wednesday.

    Justice Atilade explained that the freed inmates had been in prison awaiting trial for over two months and above.

    The exercise was part of the ongoing efforts to decongest the prisons in the state.

    The Chief Judge was accompanied on the trip by senior members of the judiciary, including Justices of the High Court of Lagos State, Oluwatoyin Ipaye, Aishat Opesanwo, Kudirat Jose, Lateef Lawal-Akapo, Sedoten Ogunsanya, Chief Registrar Emmanuel Ogundare and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Alakija.

    Also on her entourage to Ikoyi were members of the Nigerian Bar Association executive committee in Ikeja, Lagos, Ikorodu and Badagry.

    At Thursday’s ceremony, 16 inmates were physically present, while 10 others had earlier left the prison walls with the approval of the chief judge.

    They were all released in exercise of the powers conferred on the chief judge by Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007 and provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    Releasing the inmates, Justice Atilade counseled them to be of good behaviour henceforth.

    “I release all you today 18th day of June, 2015 from custody pursuant to the powers conferred on me and admonish you to go and sin no more,” she said.

     

  • ‘Lagos courts get three child abuse cases per day’

    The 10 family courts in Lagos State receive at least three cases of sexual offences and domestic violence against children daily, the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, said Thursday.

    She said with over 1,000 abuse, rape and molestation cases filed every year, there is still much to be done in effectively enforcing the child rights law.

    Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, called for a consolidation of all laws relating to children into one legislation for easy implementation.

    The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said several socio-economic and cultural factors work against effective enforcement of the laws on women and children.

    They spoke at the Stakeholders’ Summit on Child Rights/Domestic Violence laws, as part of activities marking the new legal year in the state.

    Justice Atilade lamented the increase in cases of domestic violence, rape and other sexual offences.

    “Recent happenings make it obvious that violence and tyranny are shifting to the girl-child. The abduction of the Chibok grils is a case in point.

    “The increase is phenomenal, frightening, offensive and disturbing,” she said.

    The CJ called for a reassessment of how cases involving child abuse and domestic violence are prosecuted.

    She raised these posers: “Are we all doing what we should do under the circumstance by protecting the best interests and welfare of these children?

    “Are cases of rape being diligently investigated and prosecuted? Are lawyers promoting the right of victims of these offences and not just giving prominence to the right of the perpetrators to fair trial over that of the innocent victims?

    “Are the courts ensuring justice for all – the offenders, victims of these offences and the society at large?”

    Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire urged victims of violence to speak up and seek help before it is too late.

    The deputy governor urged the Federal Government to do all in its powers to ensure the release of the abducted Chibok school girls.

    “The Federal Government has not done much to the best of my knowledge. We want them to be brought back alive now.

    “Nigeria has the resources, so everything must be done to bring them back,” she said.

    Ipaye recalled a case where a woman died from domestic violence. The husband was arrested and was about to be charged for murder, but relatives pleaded with the ministry to drop the case for the children’s sake.

    “The family begged that the father of the children should not be sent to jail because there will be no one to provide for them,” Ipaye said.