As part of the initiative of the Nigerian Prisons Service to de-congest the prisons, not less than 100 inmates of the Kirikiri Medium Prison were on Thursday set free, in collaboration with an anonymous philanthropist who settled their fines.
Lagos State Controller of Prisons , Mr Tunde Ladipo, told newsmen in Lagos that most of the affected inmates were arrested for minor offences ranging from street trading to wandering.
He said an anonymous philanthropist offered to settle the fines meted on the inmates.
“The philanthropist wrote a letter to the NPS that he wants to provide food items to the inmates but I suggested to him that it is better to pay their fines to regain freedom since they were given an option of fine
“Most of them were arrested on minor offences but because they cannot afford the fines they were remanded.
“The prison is congested already and we needed to de-congest it,” Ladipo said.
He advised the inmates to stay away from crime-prone areas and engage in legitimate jobs in order to stay out of prison.
Pastor Taiwo Olaoye, who represented the philanthropist, urged the inmates to be good ambassadors of their families and the country.
He assured that the beneficiaries would be trained in various vocations to make them self-reliant.
