Lagos Police Cells Congested as Magistrate Courts Stop Remand of Suspects in Prisons
Police cells in Lagos, are now congested following the stoppage of remand orders by the magistrate courts in the state, following congestions in the custodial centers in the state.
The State’s Justice Ministry had directed the magistrates to stop granting remand orders to the police to detain suspects in the custodial centers.
The only exceptions are suspects facing charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Nigerian correctional service had complained that its cells in Lagos are over congested, and had been rejecting suspects sent to it for remand by the magistrate courts.
The development had resulted in massive congestion of police cells in the state.
Spokesman of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Lagos State, O. Oladokun, confirmed the development, but said the custodial centers only reduce the number of suspects they are taking from courts into custody.
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He explained that the decision was due to the congestion in prison cells and that the issue was being resolved by the state attorney general and the comptroller of correctional service in the state.
However, in the fresh circular, the DCR directed the magistrates to stop granting remand orders to the police altogether.
The DCR said the magistrates were only permitted to grant remand orders to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
In the circular sighted by our correspondent, the DCR said, “I have been further directed to inform Your Honours to stop accepting overnight cases from any police station, formation or command except EFCC cases until directed otherwise.
“This overrides earlier directive that defendants be held in police custody. No magistrate shall order any police to detain a defendant at the station.”
A source told our correspondent that the circular was issued following a memo from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, in response to a complaint by the Nigeria Correctional Service stating that the prison were congested and they had started rejecting new inmates.
