By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
Discussion between federal government and Lagos State Government on the planned relocation of the 63-year old Ikoyi Prison has reached advanced stage.
When arrangements have been concluded, the prison will be relocated to Epe, an outskirt of Lagos State or any other suitable area in the state.
The prison which was established in 1955 has outlived its suitability for its present location, and therefore, needs to be relocated to another place where it would perform the primary duty of prison by serving as a correctional centre, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniyi Kazeem, said.
According to him, though the issue of prison is on the Exclusive Legislative List, and is not within the purview of the state government, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is concerned about matters relating to the administration of prison and prison reform.
Kazeem declared: “We are very passionate about prison reforms. Unfortunately issues about prison as you know are on the Exclusive Legislative List. They are things not within our control, but the reality is that we can’t look away.”
He pointed out that the police is not under state government control but that Lagos State government “has made major interventions in that area because it affects us.”
He also said that Lagos State government has made interventions in almost all the security agencies that operate in the state even though they are in the exclusive legislative list.
The attorney-general stated that there has been an on-going matter with Ikoyi Prison. “Discussions,” he elaborated, “have been on-going with the federal government to relocate that prison to possibly Epe or some other locations and free up that space.”
Kazeem narrated that the whole idea is that the prison is congested and right in the middle of the city.
“What we are going to agree with the federal government is to get the design, build a world-class prison facility and make it truly a correctional centre,” the justice commissioner stressed. xxx
