The Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, has released 21 inmates awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.
Among those released were two mentally challenged inmates who had spent between 8 to 10 years in custody without any clear charges or trial.
He said the release is part of his efforts to reduce the prison population, which has exceeded its capacity.
He noted that the correctional centre, built to accommodate 1,500 inmates, currently houses over 2,500 inmates.
He emphasized the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to address this issue.
He stated that keeping inmates in custody without trial does not benefit society, instead punishes them without justification.
He explained that the decision to release the inmates was based on a review of their cases. Those with ongoing court cases were not considered for release, but inmates whose case files could not be traced and had spent years in custody without any progress in their trials were freed.
He maintained that the goal delivery exercise was not the normal routine duty but fundamental aspects of his judicial responsibilities rooted in legal traditional as provided in the criminal justice release from custody special provision Act Cap C,4c laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and section 34 sub 1 of Rivers state Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 2015.
Among those released were two mentally challenged inmates who had spent between 8 to 10 years in custody without any clear charges or trial.
Justice Amadi advised the freed inmates to become change agents in society and avoid repeating the crimes that led to their incarceration. He also urged the police to conduct diligent investigations before charging suspects to court, emphasizing the importance of proper legal procedures.
The State Controller of Correctional Service, Madumere Felix C, expressed gratitude to the Chief Judge for the exercise and highlighted the challenges faced by the correctional service.
He disclosed that the maximum correctional centre has 503 inmates on death row and over 2,500 inmates in total, far exceeding its capacity. Felix called on the Chief Judge to help channel the service’s challenges to the state government for support and assistance.
