Released prisoners from Oyo State are expected to pay between N5,000 and N10,000 to the cover of the Nigeria Prisons Service before they could regain their freedom.

CEOAFRICA investigation in Ibadan on Sunday revealed that the payment was to enable the NPS authority confirms the release of the prisoners by the state government.

A source said it was not knew that released prisoner has to pay to enable the NPS confirm the released from prospective state.

One of the released prisoners, Lukmon Ajibola told CEOAFRICA on Sunday that none of them would be allowed to leave prison custody without paying "the confirmation fee of between N5,000 and N10,000."

He disclosed that 72 hours after their released, they yet to let go not because of the fee but because their released was to be confirmed. He said a letter to confirm their release was yet to get to the office of the Controller of Prison in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He said the Controller was not in his office on Thursday and Friday to receive and work on the letter but expressed hope that something tangible would take place on Monday.

According to him, the letter will be taken to Abeokuta from Ibadan before it will finally be received at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Apapa before the released could be allowed to go.

It would be recalled the the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi granted amnesty to five condemned prisoners, total release and state pardon for four convicts who were on life imprisonment, as well as amnesty to 12 convicts who are on various terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors.

 The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ojo Adebayo , said in a statement in Ibadan that the amnesty was in commemoration of the New Year anniversary.

According to him, the amnesty was an exercise of the governor’s power to grant prerogative of mercy to convicts as conferred by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 under section 212(1) of the Constitution.

The five condemned prisoners granted amnesty were Bashiru Popoola, Mukaila Salawu, Obinna John, Idowu Emmanuel and Wahab Alao.

The release said that the four prisoners on life imprisonment granted total release and state pardon were Oba Gabriel Adepoju Adeyemo, Isaac Ogunniyi, Gabriel Ojetayo and Lukman Ajibola.