11 December 2025
The Lagos State Government has approved the release of 91 inmates to commemorate the 2025 United Nations Human Rights Day.
This move is part of the state’s efforts to uphold human rights and promote justice.
According to Attorney General Lawal Pedro, 80 of the convicts will be released immediately, while the remaining 11 will be released on various dates, with their sentences computed.
Lawal Pedro says the sentences of all affected inmates will be computed while those on death row will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
The Attorney General emphasized the importance of respecting human rights, urging Lagos residents to respect others’ rights and remain law-abiding.
He also highlighted the state’s commitment to fairness, equality, accountability, and equal access to justice.
The AG said the Directorate handled approximately 1,950 petitions in the past year and 1,200 cases were successfully resolved through mediation.
He explained ” in 1999, when Nigeria returned to constitutional democracy, Lagos state recognised the urgent need to rebuild public trust and to restore the people’s confidence in institutions meant to protect their human rights. It was against this backdrop that the Directorate of Citizens Rights was created,”
“It was a deliberate democratic intervention by the then governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Senator Bola Tinubu, now the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, designed to empower citizens with the knowledge of their rights, provide an accessible mechanism for redress, and ensure that abuses associated with military rule never again become part of our civil reality.
“The Directorate of Citizens’ Rights served as a bridge between a past defined by suppression and a future grounded in legal protection, accountability and justice for all.
“Over the years, the Directorate has evolved into one of the most important pillars of Lagos State Justice architecture. Though it began with five foundational units-the Citizens Mediation Unit, the Public Defender Unit, the Human Rights Unit, the Consumer Rights Protection Unit, and the Justice Now Information Unit- many of these units have since matured into full-fledged agencies,” the SAN added.
He further disclosed that the Directorate is currently handling about 50 fundamental rights suits before the Federal High Court and State High Court.
The Directorate of Citizens’ Rights was established in 1999 to empower citizens with knowledge of their rights, provide accessible mechanisms for redress, and ensure that human rights abuses are prevented.
The Directorate has evolved into a crucial part of Lagos State’s justice architecture, with various units working together to promote human rights and justice
