The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and minister of justices, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) as well as the Attorneys -General the states have been cautioned to ensure the inmates whose fines are to be paid are well assessed and ascertain that that their lists actually have the option to pay fines in the judgments convicting them.
A senior legal Adviser to the commissioner for justices, Debo Oladinni, gave the advice in a letter to ministers of interior, and its counterpart in the justice ministry on the planned N500 Million of fines to be paid for 4,000 inmates.
As part of efforts to decongest the Nigeria correctional centre, the minister of interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has disclosed plans to pay fines of 4,000 inmates.
In response, Oladinni in his letter to the minister hailed the development but cautioned against abuse of the process.
He added the minister of interior liaises with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that each inmate is assessed mentally, psychologically, and physically before reintegrating them into the society.
For the integration program to be effective, he suggests that the 4,000 inmates are released in manageable batches of 1,000 for effective rehabilitation/societal reintegration, which should be for a period not less than three months.
“Source for funds from/liaise with the private sector to facilitate a watertight rehabilitation/reintegration program for the said inmates.
“The Inmates’ Training and Productivity (ITP) Directorate of the Nigerian Correctional Service should endeavor to arrange a ‘special training reintegration program’ for the 4,000 inmates prior to their reintegration into the society.”