The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, on Wednesday, freed 79 inmates from the Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan as part of an ongoing effort to decongest the overcrowded facility.
The beneficiaries of the latest release include inmates who have been awaiting trial for more than four months, those charged with capital offences who have spent between two and five years in custody without trial, as well as those with serious health conditions.
Justice Yerima disclosed that Wednesday’s exercise marked the third such visit to the facility in 2025. She noted that the periodic release of inmates was essential to addressing the persistent challenge of congestion across correctional centres in the state.
“The exercise is just to assist in decongesting this facility; it is an exercise that is meant to be undertaken periodically,” she said. “As society grows, so does the rate of criminality. The population of inmates here is increasing at a rate much higher than the space available.”
The Chief Judge stressed that the initiative not only aimed at decongesting the facility but also at reducing the workload and operational pressure on correctional officers.
She encouraged the freed inmates to see their release as a second chance to lead meaningful lives, urging them to “walk with God, turn a new leaf, and avoid returning to crime.”
The Controller of Corrections in Oyo State, Ayoola Opadeji, also admonished the released inmates to make productive use of their freedom and to contribute positively to society.
He commended Justice Yerima and the state judiciary for their continuous commitment to prison decongestion and justice reform.
