The Lagos State House of Assembly is set to establish a modern correctional service centre to provide for the administration of custodial and non-custodial measures, and for other related purposes.
The Bill titled “Lagos State Correctional Service Bill 2025” is a Members’ bill and it aims to provide a more effective and humane approach to corrections, prioritising rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in society.
The proposed bill will focus on providing training and rehabilitation programs for inmates, aiming to reduce recidivism and promote safer communities.
Providing insight into the bill, Oladipo Ajomale, Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, emphasised that the bill aligns with international best practices in correctional services and aims to reform and rehabilitate offenders rather than merely punishing them.
He expressed that the correctional system in Nigeria has been moved from an exclusive list to a concurrent list, and the establishment of this correctional service centre is a significant step towards reforming our centres.
He further highlighted various sections of the bill, which ensure health and safety standards within the facilities are met, provide adequate provisions for juvenile offenders, and utilise modern surveillance technologies such as CCTV installations.
In his submission, the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams, stated that if passed into Law, the bill will cater to the mental and physical welfare of inmates in prisons, ensuring proper hygiene and adequate accommodations for prisoners.
Contributing, Abiodun Tobun noted that the proposed bill will offer the inmates vocational training and a second chance at life.
He called for strict ethical conduct by superintendents and the Director General, who will oversee the operations.
Explaining, Femi Saheed noted: “Lagos has the highest gross domestic product GDP, if the State must take its vantage, we must have a judicial system that will help the bill”.
Describing the bill as a life-changing opportunity, the establishment of the correctional centre will serve as a reform introduction into the State’s landscape of opportunities.
In her remarks, Omolara Olumegbon underscored the need for a well-regulated correctional system and reiterated the importance of continuous staff training.
Other lawmakers who echoed similar sentiments affirmed that the bill would help decongest existing correctional centres, offer inmates life-changing opportunities, and provide structured support for vulnerable young people at risk of criminal behaviours. They, however, advocated for the swift passage of the bill into Law.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Assembly, Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, appreciated members for their insightful contributions, and he described the bill as “the House’s baby” which must not be neglected.
He emphasised the necessity for the state to support its justice system with the right infrastructure, and for justice to be effective, the State must provide adequate support facilities.
“This bill will ensure a safer, more reformed society and deliver lasting value to the people of Lagos,” Obasa stated.
He, thereafter, committed the bill to the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and LASIEC to report back in three weeks.