75-year-old inmate, son, others freed by presidential committee

The Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Decongestion and Reforms has released 19 inmates including a seventy-five-year-old man and his son from the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre inAbuja.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee and Chief Judge, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Honourable Justice Ishaq Bello disclosed this to Journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Bello stated that the conditions for the release of the inmates were based on age, inability to pay fine, ill-health, overstay of statutory detention period and other factors that could justify their release.

He explained that the exercise was in line with the government’s plans decongest the custodial centres to meet with the international standard of criminal justice and human right standard.

Bello said that the Committee is working hard to increase Skill Acquisition Centers as part of rehabilitation of inmates by acquiring skill on any job of interest that would be to their benefit to enable them start a new life after the completion of their statutory detention/jail term from which 25% from their sales or proceed would be given to them to establish.

Bello noted that the Ministry of Interior and other stakeholders have been engaged for the sustenance of the Acquisition Center.

He cautioned the Chief Magistrates against indefinite detention of inmates in prison while advising them to spell out the sentence if there is compensation, payment of fine, time or year.