Why the blight called Ikoyi prisons should give way

In the early 1900s when Lagos State started blooming under colonial rule, the city as presently constituted could hardly have been imagined.

There was ample space and congestion was not a thing that was associated with it. Lagos was smaller then and its administrative functions were clustered mainly around the centre then – Lagos Island and Ikoyi. The other parts of the state were considered by the elites of that era as far-flung appendages. And for their convenience, colonial masters sited buildings housing the major organs of governance around the “centre.”

Hence, it was through the planning at that time that the National Assembly, government secretariat, security offices and other attendant offices happened to be sited on Lagos Island.

Such permutations also saw the creation of the Ikoyi Prisons in Ikoyi in 1955. This was even five years before Nigeria attained her independence. But Lagos has changed and is still changing. The hitherto purely residential areas of Ikoyi, GRA Ikeja, Apapa, which garnered reputation as choice location of colonial homes, is changing. Today, while smart modern condominiums are replacing the old buildings, these areas are also attracting global businesses that are increasingly finding Lagos a choice destination. Ditto for hospitality centres. And with Lagos ever-growing in terms of population, pressure on its landmass, which is the smallest in the country is harder than ever.

This pressure has made the state government to continuously do a re-assessment in virtually every sphere of governance. It is towards this re-assessment that the state government wants the Ikoyi Prisons relocated from its present location.

That Lagos is prime real estate is not in contention. Also, that the prison is occupying real prime estate is also not in contention. But the matter is not whether a prison should occupy such prime spot, it has to do with, is that the better arrangement?

While some people who habitually criticise the state government’s plans may view the relocation of the prison as usurping the Federal Government’s authority, the truth is that the prison has put a strain on the potential development of the prime space it occupies. And this stranglehold should not be allowed as the state marches towards being a megacity. 

At the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation service, the neglect of the prison again came into focus. According to reports, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, the state Commissioner for the Environment, hinted at the state government’s proposed relocation of the prison while monitoring the exercise in Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area. 

Adejare who also visited the prison, said that the sewage system is broken and promised to tackle the environmental menace. “We will see how we would work with the Nigeria Prison Service to ensure that we provide sewage system,” said the commissioner.

But beyond constituting an environmental nuisance, if all goes according to plans, the state government intends to relocate the Ikoyi Prisons, Adejare disclosed.

“There is a larger thing coming into play soon; that is relocation of the prison,” he said. “The facility had passed its usefulness. The most valuable land in Africa is there. We should not have such in that location. We are discussing with the Federal Government to
deal with the relocation. In the interim, the state government will provide the prison with better sewage system.”

Intended as a place for reforming delinquent persons, many Nigerian prisons have lost their essence. Instead of being reformed, many prisoners now come out more hardened than they even were before being incarcerated. 

Several factors account for this horrible development. First, adequate provisions have not been made to reform the prison system.
Aside poorly motivated prison officials, the prison environment itself leaves much to be desired. And a major challenge confronting Nigerian prisons is congestion of inmates in their cells.

Not too long ago, the Senate Committee on Interior gave a damning report about the state of some prisons it toured. It stated that major sections of the perimeter walls have collapsed, and cell roofs leak during downpour.

The report also stated that overcrowding had become a mainstay of the prison, threatening the welfare of prisoners.“In many of the prisons visited, the committee was moved by the plight of the inmates; many of the cells meant to accommodate about 50 inmates were found to accommodate about 150 inmates, all cramped together,” the report stated.

It is also very worrisome that the overwhelming majority of those in prison are actually awaiting trial. The report points out that as at August 29, 2016, of the 63, 000 persons in prisons across the country, only 28 per cent of that number or 17, 897 persons have been convicted while 72 per cent or 45, 263 persons were awaiting trial. Of course, it is good that prison de-congestion is of concern to the Federal Government as it is collaborating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the matter, in a development tagged “Justice Project.”

At a workshop held in Abuja in August, UNODC Country Representative Ms. Christina Albertin, disclosed that the programme aims to improve prison conditions in nine states – Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Imo, Katsina, Lagos, Osun and Yobe. It is virtually all of Nigeria’s prisons that need this breath of fresh air. In its present state, the prison in Ikoyi is deplorable and serves as a sad reminder of ills the nation is trying to rid itself of. It is not the sort of building that speaks the best of Nigerians. And while some people might consider renovation, for a lasting legacy, Lagos will be better off relocating the prison to give way for more prosperous development. 

For one, methinks economics is a prevailing factor for the state government wanting the prison to be relocated.Presently, Ikoyi Prisons sits on one of Africa’s prime real estate and the moral question, which parallels the economic question is: Should the prison be moved for a much-needed development? Personally, it’s a yes for me. In 1955 when the prison was established, it undoubtedly made sense that it was sited in Ikoyi. Not anymore. Events of over half a century have helped shape the landscape such that having a prison there is no longer complimentary to the area.

And as the Federal Government cooperates with Lagos on the prison relocation, it is perhaps a perfect time for the Nigerian Prisons Service to re-align the country’s prison system to be in tune with modern practice. It is good that this move by the Lagos state government should be supported.