A 65-year-old grandmother and her 15-year-old grandson jumped for joy on Wednesday as the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, set them free from prison at Abolongo Correctional Centre, Oyo town, where they had been kept over alleged theft of two fowls.
Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, released the duo of awaiting-trial grandmother and grandson from the Abolongo Correctional Centre Oyo, while exercising his prerogative of mercy.
Grandmother and grandson had been awaiting trial at the Abolongo Correctional Centre since December 2022.
The boy was alleged to have stolen the fowls and given them to the grandmother who also allegedly collected them for safe keeping.
Justice Abimbola noted that they deserved mercy because the boy is underage while the old woman is aged, sick and frail.
He admonished them never to return to theft or to the receipt of stolen items.
The chief judge released 72 other awaiting-trial inmates of the centre also on Wednesday.
Justice Abimbola explained that the exercise of the prerogative of mercy, followed recommendations of the Oyo State Monitoring Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, led by him.
He said the committee considered cases and lists of inmates brought by the Correctional Centre, by NGOs, and by the Oyo State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association on prerogative of mercy.
He explained that age, health challenges and prolonged detention were the three major criteria considered in releasing the beneficiaries.
The chief judge noted that the exercise was also in tune with his power of release and prerogative of mercy to aid prison decongestion.
