8 babies, 9 pregnancies recorded in Lagos Female Prisons ---official
(Nigeria) Eight babies are currently living in Kirikiri
Female Prisons, Lagos, with their mothers, while nine inmates are pregnant, an
official said on Thursday.
Mrs Omotilewa lbirogba, the Director, Directorate of
Citizens Rights, DCR, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, disclosed this while
leading officials on a welfare check to the prison.
The visit is part of the ongoing efforts by the Lagos State
Government to decongest the prisons.
Other members of the team are the Head, Community Service
Unit of the Directorate, Mrs Shakira Kotun, Mrs N.F. Utomi, Mrs I.O. Adesina,
Mrs Monisola Niyi-Odewale, Miss Bimbo Fadeyi, Miss Adewale Oluwafikemi and Mrs
Adeola Adenike.
According to lbirogba, there are currently 222 inmates in
the prison.
She said:"Of the 222 inmates, there are 175 are
awaiting trial, 43 convicted inmates, two inmates that are serving life sentences
and two inmates who have been sentenced to death.
"There are also eight babies residing in the prison
with their mothers, while nine inmates are currently pregnant."
On the future of the eight babies, Ibirogba explained that
once the infants attained the age of 24 months, they would be taken away from
their mothers and handed over to appointed relations to nurture them.
The director added: "Our findings revealed that a lot
of the inmates already have legal representations and have been granted bail by
the courts but have not been able to perfect their bail conditions.
``There are plans by my Directorate to provide free legal
services to those whose cases are not going on well in the courts, while
applications will be filed to vary bail conditions for those already granted
bail by the courts.
"Contrary to what obtained in the past, the inmates
looked neat, healthy, well fed and had no rashes on their bodies."
The team also donated some toileteries to the prison.
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