No fewer than 29 inmates from the correctional facilities in Abeokuta have regained their freedom as part of efforts to ease overcrowding in the state’s custodial centres.
The inmates, 23 from the New Abeokuta Custodial Centre, Oba, and six from Old Abeokuta Custodial Centre, Ibara, were released on Monday.
Speaking during the jail delivery exercise, the Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu noted that it was an avenue to review cases, accelerate justice delivery, address prolonged pre-trial detention, and support the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals into society.
She lamented that the five correctional facilities in the state are highly congested, stressing that to address the challenge, regular jail delivery exercises, the imposition of non-custodial sentences for minor offences, restitution and compensation to victims, among other judicial reforms are essential.
Justice Dipeolu argued that despite these challenges, the judicial system is aimed at upholding values while ensuring that every individual, regardless of circumstance, receives fair treatment under the law.
“Measures such as regular jail delivery exercises, the imposition of non-custodial sentences for minor offences, restitution and compensation to victims, and other judicial reforms are essential in safeguarding the integrity and efficiency of our justice administration,” she said.
Recall that the Ogun State Judiciary had announced that it will carry out a comprehensive decongestion exercise at the Sagamu Correctional Center between Monday, November 24, 2025, and Friday, December 5, 2025.
The intervention week was focused on accelerated hearings, review of eligible cases, and consideration of matters suitable for non-custodial measures in accordance with relevant laws.
Justice Dipeolu disclosed that at the conclusion of the exercise, 187 inmates were released from the Sagamu Correctional Centre.
She said, “We had an intervention week at Sagamu where eight magistrates sat from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for one week to decongest the prisons, and they were able to release about 187 inmates from Sagamu. So, that has reduced the number there as we speak.”
The chief judge while bemoaning the increase in crime, called on the state government to construct more facilities, maintaining that jail delivery exercise isn’t enough to decongest the correctional centers
“It’s a societal problem, crime rates are going up every day. We have a lot of cases in court—a judge in Ogun State has at least three hundred cases in his docket and as we work, we get more.
“So we need the intervention of government. The jail delivery exercise isn’t enough to decongest the correctional centers, we need more correctional centers, we need to expand, and that can only be done by the government.”
Prison decongestion: Ogun CJ frees 29 inmates, seeks more facilities
