Lagos government pledges to relocate Ikoyi Prison to Epe

The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, has said the government is making effort to relocate the Ikoyi Prison to Epe as a way of aiding prison decongestions.

He said though, prison is in the exclusive list and not within the control of the state, Lagos would not look away at the current state of the prisons in the State.

His words: “The prison is not within our control but we cannot look away. The police is not under the State too, but Lagos State government has made major interventions because it affect the people of the state and I can tell you in all the security services that operate in the state, this government has made one major intervention or the other.

“There is an ongoing discussion with the federal government to relocate Ikoyi Prison to Epe where there will be enough space. The whole idea is to decongest the prison and once we are able to agree on terms with the FG, Lagos government will design a world class prison facility”.

The Lagos Attorney General also pointed out that Prisons are to be correctional centres so that those who go there would come out better into the society.

He also promised that Governor Ambode is ready to intervene in issues of food, health, accommodation among others as it affect inmates”.

The Attorney General stated this at a parley organised by the State’s Ministry of Justice for judicial correspondence in the State.

The commissioner also disclosed that he has asked his Senior Assistance on Criminal Prosecutions to do a report in conjunction with the Controller of Prisons in the State to identify all these areas that need intervention, assuring that as soon as possible, the State government would take necessary steps to improve the Prisons.

On Tenancy Laws, he said: “I have written to the State’s Law Reform Commission to conduct an overhaul of the law because as things continue to develop the laws should develop alongside.”

The Commissioner also stated effort of the Ambode led administration to revamp the transportation sectors of the State, which will witness world class buses to replace the existing commercial buses on our roads.