December 14, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Hon. Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has ordered the release of 287 inmates from correctional facilities across the state as part of the 2025 judicial initiatives aimed at decongesting prisons, alleviating prolonged detention, and reinforcing justice delivery within the state’s criminal justice system. The exercise was confirmed by state judicial sources and marked a significant expansion of jail delivery actions implemented this year.
Justice Dipeolu’s directive is understood to be part of the statutory jail delivery responsibilities bestowed upon state chief judges, which require periodic review of inmates’ custody status—especially for those who have spent extended periods awaiting trial or whose cases reflect legal anomalies or humanitarian grounds. Such initiatives have been increasingly used nationwide to address systemic prison overcrowding, uphold the rule of law, and protect fundamental rights.
The released inmates include individuals who had been held without commensurate progress in their court cases, a category prevalent across Nigerian custodial centres given persistent justice system delays and trial backlogs. Judicial officials involved in the exercise emphasised that the review process considers factors such as length of detention, nature of alleged offences, age, health conditions, and legal technicalities that may warrant conditional or unconditional release.
State legal observers noted that similar jail delivery exercises have been recorded in other parts of the country in 2025. For example, the Enugu State Chief Judge discharged 86 inmates earlier in the year after reviewing stalled cases, highlighting a growing judicial focus on justice reform and institutional accountability.
Justice Dipeolu, who presides over one of southwestern Nigeria’s more active judiciaries, has overseen expanded judicial infrastructure and reform efforts in 2025, including the commissioning of multiple court complexes to enhance access to justice across the state. Such measures are designed to reduce case backlogs and improve the efficiency of judicial processes.
The Ogun State Correctional Centre had been facing pressure from severe overcrowding, mirroring a nationwide challenge that has seen custodial facilities detain inmates far beyond capacity and for prolonged periods—often for minor offences or because of inadequate legal representation. Judicial interventions like the release of 287 inmates reflect ongoing efforts to realign detention practices with constitutional rights.
Family members of the freed inmates expressed relief and gratitude, while civil society advocates lauded the Chief Judge’s action as a progressive step toward humane justice administration in Ogun State. They also called for sustained reforms, including enhanced legal aid services and expedited trial processes, to ensure that justice is both swift and fair.
The Ogun State judiciary has indicated that it will continue periodic case reviews and jail delivery exercises into 2026 in line with constitutional obligations and broader judicial reform priorities.