A total of over 250 inmates housed at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centres have availed themselves of the Plea Bargain and Restorative Justice programme orchestrated by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, unveiled this information during a session at the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Custodial Centres in Lagos. Accompanied by officials from the Ministry, Dr Martins led another round of the Plea Bargain and Restorative Justice Sensitization Session for Awaiting Trial Inmates.
Dr Martins conveyed that the program’s core objective is to alleviate congestion within correctional facilities in Lagos State, aligning with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s reform initiative for the administration of criminal justice in the region.
He expounded that the Plea Bargain initiative, conducted in partnership with the Lagos State Command of the National Correctional Centre, the State Judiciary, and the Lagos State Police Command, would actively contribute to diminishing the number of inmates awaiting trial in correctional facilities.
Dr Martins clarified that the Plea Bargain option is designed to decongest prisons and not to coerce inmates into admitting guilt for lesser charges. The extent of the offence, the length of sentences, and the decisions made by judges concerning the offers presented are pivotal factors within the Plea Bargain process.
Hence, he encouraged long-awaiting trial inmates to contemplate the options of Plea Bargaining or Restorative Justice.
The Coordinator of the Restorative Justice Centre, Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi, emphasised that the Restorative Justice and Plea Bargain procedures adhere to the Lagos State Justice Law of 2015. This initiative underscores the State Government’s unwavering commitment to enhancing the administration of criminal justice within the state.
Oluwafemi elaborated, “Restorative Justice is an approach that seeks to prompt offenders to acknowledge their actions, comprehend the harm they’ve caused, offer them a chance at redemption, and discourage them from causing further harm. For victims, it strives to grant them an active role in the process, alleviating feelings of helplessness and anxiety.”
She stressed that the Lagos State Restorative Justice Programme is built upon objectives such as shortening trial periods, boosting victim contentment, reinforcing communities, alleviating correctional centre overcrowding, reducing incarceration rates, and enhancing public confidence in the justice system.
The Deputy Controller of Corrections at Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre, DCC Ogbuji C. Emeka, welcomed the team from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice during the visit.
