adsOver 397 inmates serving varying terms in Nigerian custodian centres (prisons) in Lagos regained their freedom between 2023 and 2025 on the recommendation of the Lagos State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Lawal Pedro, Lagos State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, said the invocation of the constitutional Prerogative of Mercy became necessary to decongest the custodian centres and promote rehabilitation within the criminal justice system. There are three custodial centres in Lagos: Kirikiri Maximum, Kirikiri Minimum, and Ikoyi, with most inmates held awaiting trial for minor offences.
Pedro spoke at a ministerial briefing on Thursday, highlighting the activities of the Ministry of Justice the last one year in the build-up to the seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration on May 29, 2026.
He explained that the Prerogative of Mercy is a constitutional power vested in the governor to grant relief to convicted persons through pardon, release, or commutation of sentences based on recommendations by the Lagos State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
“The Prerogative of Mercy is the constitutional power vested in the Governor to grant relief to a person convicted of a criminal offence, usually after conviction and sentence. It is an act of grace or clemency exercised in appropriate circumstances to mitigate the rigours of the law,” Pedro said. Related News Berger Paints raises dividend by 37.5% as shareholders applaud profit growth APC will collapse without power - ADC Tatum Bank board, management pay courtesy visit to Sanwo-Olu adsads
