Akwa-Ibom Judge Frees 14 Inmates as ICRC Donates Items to Bauchi Prison
Chief Judge Frees 14 Prison Inmates in Akwa Ibom
The chief judge of Akwa Ibom has released 14 inmates from the four prison institutions in the state, charging them to repent and be of good behaviour so that the later part of their lives will not be worse than the former.
Justice Godwin Abraham gave the charge yesterday in Uyo during the conclusion of his inspection of the prison establishments in Ikot Abasi, Eket, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo.
In his remark, the judiciary boss commended all the stakeholders which comprises the law officers, prison officials, police, judiciary staff, and legal practitioners for their commitment and assistance in the administration of justice to the people who were incarcerated and who otherwise would have remained in prison, thereby helping to decongest the prison custody.
The Chief Judge said sometimes the cost of justice can be very cumbersome because there are a lot of interests to be reconciled, adding that every time they face a case, whether in the prison, police station, or in the court, there is an interest of the person alleged to have committed the offence.
He maintained that the essence of the visit was to consider the interest of the accused person in detention for a long time without a case file and whose matter is a civil or minor one in order to help decongest the prisons in the State.
Justice Abraham explained that he was aware that the facility erected in most of the prison establishments in the state were built since 1942, and for the past years, they have not been upgraded or updated. He said: “If the colonial masters were to come back here, they wouldn’t find any difficulties to identify these facilities they erected many years ago”.
The facilities have been overgrown 100 per cent, doubling the number of people that were supposed to occupy it. The environment is not decent. The tendency is that it could create in the minds of the inmates the impression that the prison is “impunity.” Sometimes “they may leave the custody with anger” and continue in criminality because of what they are exposed to.
Many of them cannot easily be admitted to bail, thanking God that a fantastic job is being done to ensure that cases of awaiting trials could not remain for too long before people are taken to court.
He said in the course of the exercise, he has found a matter that lasted for a month and the case is in the court already, encouraging the workers to do more.
ASP Ogbajie Ogbajie
Public Relations Officer
Akwa Ibom State Command
[email protected]
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ICRC Donates Relief Items to Prison Inmates
The international Committee of the Red Cross has donated assorted items to Bauchi Prison inmates.
While distributing the items to the inmates, the head of the delegation who is also the Protection delegate of the Society, Mr. Moussa Sall, noted that the items are meant to assist the inmates to improve their hygiene conditions and improve their well being while in custody.He urged the Bauchi Prison authority to ensure the appropriate use of the items donated.
The ICRC officials have earlier visited the Controller of Prisons Bauchi State Command,Suleiman T. Suleiman in his Office. The Controller of Prisons lauded the Red Cross Society for their passion towards assisting prison inmates. He called on them to sustain the good gesture and urged other humanitarian organizations to emulate ICRC.
The items donated include 3 units of wheel barrow, 10 units of rake, shovels 10, hoes 10, mop 150, broom scrubbing brush,150 and Local broom 150 units.
Other items include 280 units of detergent household disinfectant liquid, washing powder 2kg 190 units, Bucket(plastic) 180 units and Jerry cans 190 units.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also donated 2010 units of soap bars, 1005 units of toothpaste, and 1005 units of toothbrush.
DSP ADAM ABUBAKAR JIBRIN
COMMAND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
NIGERIAN PRISONS SERVICE
BAUCHI STATE COMMAND.
[email protected]
