More than 8,000 defendants have regained their freedom under the Ogun State Bondsmen Scheme since its introduction five years ago, according to Chief Judge of the state, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu.
Justice Dipeolu disclosed this on Friday while unveiling the 2025 Bondsmen Regulations at the second Bondsmen Stakeholders Forum, held at the Judiciary Complex, Kobape Road, Abeokuta.
She said the scheme has eased congestion in correctional facilities and addressed corruption in the state’s bail system.
“When we last met, we celebrated the release of 2,800 defendants between January 2021 and October 2023. Today, I am delighted to report that between October 2023 and July 2025, this figure has grown exponentially,” she said.
The Chief Judge credited licensed operators — Chrysalis Bail and Bond Limited and Egba Kelisco Bail and Bond Limited — for facilitating the release of thousands of awaiting-trial inmates. She added that a new firm, Praise and Moremi Bail and Bonds Limited, had been licensed, bringing the total to three.
While noting that some defendants had absconded after securing bail, Dipeolu said the 2025 Bondsmen Regulations were introduced to strengthen operations, standardise procedures, and safeguard the system’s integrity.
She urged bondsmen to embrace the judiciary’s digital reforms, pointing to the launch of a centralised database in January 2025 that tracks all defendants granted bail through bondsmen. The database, she explained, is part of a broader vision to digitise bail applications, surety verifications, and court notifications.
Chairman of the Ogun State Bondsmen Licensing Board, Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora, said the scheme had significantly curbed prison overcrowding, eliminated fake sureties, and created jobs, with over 80 staff currently employed by the companies. He noted that 212 out of 243 absconded defendants had been rearrested, underscoring the system’s effectiveness.
The state’s bond administrator, Mr. Olakulehin Oke, outlined new licence thresholds under the 2025 regulations: Category A increased to ₦20 million and above, Category B to ₦15 million, and Category C to ₦10 million. He warned that bondsmen whose clients abscond repeatedly risk licence revocation or multi-year bans.
Justice Dipeolu also revealed that 149 inmates had been freed this year during jail delivery exercises, further reducing congestion in correctional centres.
Prison overcrowding remains a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s justice system, with initiatives like the bondsmen scheme viewed as key to balancing defendants’ rights with effective case management.