Kazeem Owoseni
The chief judge of Akwa Ibom, Justice Ekaette Obot, has released 45 inmates during her facility visit to the correctional centers, across the state.
This was revealed while briefing newsmen in Uyo, the state capital on Friday, after a three-day facility visit to correctional centers across the state.
However, she called for the relocation of the Eket Correctional Centre to decongest the facility for better administration of inmates.
The correctional centers she visited were; Ikot Abasi, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, and Uyo correctional centers.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria, during the visit, three inmates were pardoned from Ikot Abasi, nine were discharged and acquitted in Eket, 11 inmates were also freed from Ikot Ekpene, and 22 inmates were released from Uyo correctional centers respectively.
The chief judge affirmed that some of the freed inmates had spent more years in the correctional centers than the penalty for the offense they were charged with.
Mrs. Obot said that some of the inmates had been in the facilities for more than four or five years, without being charged to Court.
She encouraged the freed inmates to have a rethink, venture into useful activities that will give them a better life and stay away from crimes as they might not be lucky to have another chance.
The chief judge declared that the Ikot Abasi facility was good enough in the state while stating that the Eket facility is the worst with a capacity of 123 but currently having 300 inmates.
“As I said at the beginning, Ikot Abasi was okay, and the capacity was not fully utilized. So, it was more organized than every other facility apart from Ikot Ekpene. Ikot Ekpene is the best facility we have in the state.
“Eket is the worst of all, it is limited in space and the number is overwhelming and they are not able to cater to the inmates there.
“I have suggested that the Custodial Centre’s authority in Abuja should negotiate with the Governor of the state and even the community for a good space to relocate that facility for better management of the inmates,” She said.
She expressed concern that the police and director of Public Prosecution in the state would keep inmates in custodial centers without trial and some with no case for years.
She therefore called on the police officers in charge of legal matters and the director of the public prosecution to ensure diligence in prosecution to avoid the destruction of the justice delivery system.
She cautioned the police against unnecessary arrest and confinement of innocent persons in custodial centers without thorough investigation and charging them to Court.
She stated that such arrest or confinement constituted a breach of the affected person’s constitutional rights.
