A civil society organisation, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Osun State has expressed concerns over failure of the state government to rehabilitate 53 inmates of various correctional centres before releasing them into the public.
CDHR noted that the development may worsen the rate of recidivism among the convicted inmates, a situation that would further jeopardise the security of the state.
Recall that Governor Ademola Adeleke had exercised his prerogative of mercy to pardon the 53 convicts, who were serving various sentences within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Some of the beneficiaries of the pardon had been convicted for murder, armed robbery among other capital offences.
The group, therefore, called on Governor Adeleke to establish robust rehabilitation programmes for the 53 prisoners pardoned on December 26, 2024.
The state chairman of CDHR, Olowu Emmanuel, in a statement, quoted the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Osun State 2018 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015, which state that prisoners released from custody must undergo rehabilitation programmes to facilitate their reintegration into society.
Emmanuel emphasised that the success of the reintegration process relies heavily on the effective implementation of these rehabilitation programmes, which should cater for the mental, emotional and vocational development of the pardoned prisoners.
He asserted that records have shown how many released prisoners had returned into crimes because there were no appropriate programmes to reintegrate them into the society.
According to him, “The re-entry of these prisoners into society presents an opportunity for restorative justice and reintegration. However, the success of this pivotal phase lies in the effective implementation of rehabilitation programmes that will support their mental, emotional, and vocational development. As you strive to uphold the ethos of justice and humanity, these prisoners must receive adequate support of successful transition back into their communities.
“We urge you to take immediate and concerted action towards ensuring that robust rehabilitation programmes are established and funded for those pardoned as stated in a letter of commutation dated December 24th, 2024. This is not only a moral imperative but also a societal necessity as we seek to reduce recidivism and foster safer communities.”
He asked the governor to treat the rehabilitation of the pardoned prisoners as a matter of necessity and urgency, in line with the provisions of the law.
To ensure the success of the rehabilitation programmes, the CDHR recommended collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Chief Judge of Osun State, the Attorney General, and civil society organisations.
