Release of 4,000 prisoners is a bad omen

Sir: The release to the general public of over 4,000 prisoners serving various sentences in Nigeria, ostensibly to decongest prisons, bodes very badly and sadly for the entire country.

To begin with, these were people who had committed various crimes against the Nigerian state and were tried in a court of competent jurisdiction and sentenced accordingly.

If they are released in this way without completing their sentences, what signal does that send to other criminally minded people in society? Aren’t these scoundrels encouraged to continue their dastardly game? Moreover, what effect will the indiscriminate release of this prisoner have on the psyche of the judge who handed down the sentence, who is now a potential target for attack by men of the underworld?

Indeed, if such releases do not undermine the morale of judicial personnel who believe their work becomes worthless, what impact will it have on the Nigerian judicial system as a whole? A healthy climate If so, what the state does when prisons are overcrowded is to reduce the large scale of such facilities just to ensure that criminals are housed where they truly belong and do not endanger the lives of innocent people. It is about investing in construction.

Nigeria also has more than enough resources for this, but its leaders mainly procure expensive SUVs for their members and give billions of naira to them for surveillance functions and constituency projects. They like to invest in various kinds of debauchery, such as giving.

Indiscriminately releasing prisoners before the end of their sentences is tantamount to a government failure. Indeed, it’s a headwind that ultimately brings no good to anyone.
Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International in Lagos.

Source: guardian.ng