Heavy bail sums fuels prison congestion – Activist

Lagos-based rights campaigner, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, on Tuesday said that stringent bail conditions contributed to overcrowding of correctional centres.

Ataene said  in Lagos that heavy bail sums and consequential taxes imposed by some magistrates’ courts were largely responsible for prison congestion especially in Lagos State.

He, therefore, called for end to such to promote speedy justice delivery.

“Some magistrates will grant a defendant bail with three or four sureties and a bail sum of five million Naira or N10 million.

“This makes it impossible for the defendant to be released.

“High sums of money are also demanded before satisfying the condition relating to payment of taxes by these sureties.

“We, consequently, find that defendants who have been granted bail still remain incarcerated because of these,” he said.

He called on the chief judge of Lagos State to intervene on issues regarding bail so as to decongest correctional centres.

“My take is that the courts should act on the personal income tax of the surety.

“As a practising lawyer; I have come across these scenarios often times, and I feel pained.

‘I call on the chief judge of Lagos State and the commissioner for finance to intervene,” he said.