Bauchi CJ Frees 14 Prisoners, Decries Delay Legal Advice on Awaiting Trial Inmates

The Bauchi State Chief Judge Justice Rabi T. Umar has released 14 inmates during her third and fourth quarter of 2017 visit to Prisons in Bauchi State.

The State Chief Judge who is also the Head of the Administration of Criminal Justice committee in the state completed a two day visit to the five main Prisons in Bauchi State namely; Bauchi, Azare, Misau, Jama’are and Ningi Prisons.

While addressing the press shortly after the jail delivery exercise in Bauchi Prison, Justice Rabi T Umar urged the released inmates to be of good behavior and turn a new leaf devoid of crime.

The State Chief Judge however expressed her displeasure over the delay in getting legal advice from the State Ministry of Justice for proper arraignment of accused persons before courts of competent jurisdiction.

She observed with dismay how most of the inmates she met in Bauchi Prison have spent upto five years without legal advice on their cases from Ministry of Justice.

The Chief Judge promised to invite officials of the Ministry for disçussion with a view to finding a lasting solution to the cause of the delay.

Records of the freed inmates shows that, 5 were released on bail while 9 others were released among whom was a woman in Ningi Prison whose compensation was personally paid by the Chief Judge. Controller of Prisons Bauchi State Command CP Suleiman T Suleiman thanked the Chief Judge and other members of her committee for a successful exercise noting that the jail delivery will go along way in decongesting Prisons in the state.

ASP ADAM ABUBAKAR JIBRIN

COMMAND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

NIGERIAN PRISONS SERVICE

BAUCHI STATE COMMAND