At least 2,800 defendants have been freed from Correctional facilities in Ogun State in last two years through the Bondsmen Scheme, the Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, disclosed on Thursday.
Dipeolu also disclosed that 500 inmates have been released from all the Correctional Facilities in the State from 2018 till date.
She said this while delivering her welcome address during the first edition of the Bondsmen Stakeholders’ Forum held at the judiciary complex, Kobape, Abeokuta.
The CJ said the Bondsean Scheme introduced about two years ago to aid decongesion of prisons and ease bail conditions for defendants, has paid off.
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She said Chrysalis Bail and Bond Limited and Egba Kelisco Bail and Bond Limited were the only licensed bondsmen by the State’s Bondsman licensing Board in the last two.
“Both companies have contributed in no small measure to easing the problems of congestion at the Correctional facilities as over Two Thousand Eight Hundred Defendants (2, 800) have been freed from the Correctional facilities in Ogun State between January, 2021 and October, 2023.
“It is important that we recognize the critical role that bondsmen play in the criminal justice system. As key stakeholders and partners in progress, the bondsmen are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that individuals, accused of offenses, have the opportunity to secure their release from custody while awaiting trial. This responsibility requires a delicate balance between public safety, the protection of individual rights, and the fair administration of justice. It also relieves the burden carried by the Correctional facilities as it ameliorates the congestion problems experienced by the facilities,” the CJ said.
The Licensing Board Chairman, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi said only 25 out of 2,800 defendants absconded and 16 were later rearrested.
“From the foregoing, it is evident that the bondsmen scheme is a valuable tool in our pursuit of a fair and compassionate justice system,” he said.
