Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapohunda, has said that 367 awaiting trial inmates are languishing in Ado Ekiti prisons.

Fapohunda said that of the 488 inmates in the prisons, “only 121 have been convicted while the remaining 367 are awaiting trial persons.”

The attorney-general, who spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at a stakeholders’ meeting with security chiefs in the state on Tuesday, stressed the importance of prompt remittance of case files to the office of the director of public prosecution for proper legal advice.

Fapohunda called for synergy between his office, prisons, police and other security agencies as part of efforts to decongest the prisons and ensure quick dispensation of justice.

The attorney general said proper investigation of cases by the police and correct handling of exhibits such as medical reports and confessional statements would enhance the work of the ministry.

Fapohunda added that the state Ministry of Justice had zero-tolerance for arbitrary letters of discontinuance relating to serious crimes such as rape, kidnapping and murder as such applications were counterproductive and detrimental to the goal of achieving effective prosecution of criminal matters.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Asuquo Amba, who lauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for his support for the command, promised to forward pending case files to the office of the DPP within seven days, adding that completed police reports would henceforth be expeditiously forwarded.

While affirming that only competent officers would be posted to the Criminal Investigation Department for proper handling of cases, the police commissioner promised regular training and retraining of policemen in the state.

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