Prison Congestion: Police Jubilate As Chief Judge Lifts Ban On Remand Of Suspects 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has directed Magistrates in the state to resume the granting of remand orders to the Police to take suspects to the correctional centres in the state.

The Chief Judge had in October directed Magistrates to stop granting remand orders to the Police, citing the complaints by the Nigeria Correctional Service that their facilities were already overcrowded and they could not take additional inmates.

In a circular dated 23rd October, 2023, the Chief Judge directed that Magistrates could only grant remand orders to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but not to the Police operatives, who bring “overnight” cases.

The directive compounded the work of the Police as many Divisions, Area Commands and other Unit Commands were in dilemma over what to do with hardened criminals and were forced to grant them bail.

However, in a fresh circular dated 7th November, 2023, the Chief Judge said the Magistrates could now resume granting remand orders to the Police.

The circular issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar, Administration, Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Rasaq Davies, was titled, ‘Re: Circular on rejection of new inmates by the correctional service.’

It read in part, “Furtherance to the circular dated October 23, 2023, in respect of the foregoing, I have the directive of My Lord, the Honourable Chief Judge to inform Your Honours as follows:

“Defendants can now be remanded in the Correctional Service centres with effect from Monday, November 6, 2023.

“Constitutional provisions should always be taken into consideration in imposing conditions of bail.”

The DCR urged Magistrates to exercise their judicial functions with discretion.

“Restrain from high handedness and imposition of stringent bail conditions and discretion should be exercised judicially and judiciously,” the circular added.

Some of the Police officers expressed their joy over the decision and explained that it has been tough at the various Divisions and Area Commands because there was no space to keep the suspects in the cell.

“Some of the hardened criminals were given administrative bail unlike the before the ban when they were brought, arraigned in Court and remanded in the correctional centre” a Police officer said.