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Romanus Okoye
The Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) has called on law enforcement agencies not to reverse successes recorded at decongestion custodial centres during the lockdown.
PRAWA revealed that 4828 persons were arrested in Lagos and tried in mobile court but either fined or ordered to do community service instead of imprisonment and that has helped in decongesting the Correctional Centres.
While briefing journalists on Thursday, a pro bono lawyer with PRAWA, Uju Onebune said the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 is yielding results, but noted sadly that some bag eggs in the force arrest people for prostitution, wandering, and other petty offences and demand for as much as N40,000 which they cannot pay. “So they end up in detention and court facing frivolous charges outside what they originally committed,” she said.
“Law enforcement officers not observing the COVID-19 protocols themselves like wearing face masks arrest people, demand for bride and if not given, bundle and charge indigent people with crime.”
