Delta State Chief Judge, Justice Tessy Diai, yesterday, set free four inmates at the Warri Custodian Centre, known as Okere Prison, on her second day visit to prisons in the State.
Those released were Tejiri Akpoyibo (25), charged with attempted murder; Anigoro Uduefe, Stanley Akporode and Kupa Tuphe, charged with unlawful secrete society. They all claimed innocent.
Diai said trying Tejiri Akpoyibo, who appeared mentally-unstable was counter- productive, but she discharged three others based on the advice of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that they had no case to answer.
Narrating his ordeal, Anigoro Uduefe, who could not contain his joy for the freedom, said that he was a member of the Sapele vigilance group and was going to see his wife at Udu, which was engulfed in crisis, when the anti-kidnapping group at Udu saw him, arrested, and slammed him with unlawful society charge.
He said he was innocent and happy because “today was his son’s first birthday, even as he thanked God for unveiling the truth.”
Justice Diai commended the wonderful performance of the DPP and her team, the Chief Registrar, judges and chairmen of branches of Nigerian Bar Association, Delta State, noting that she was impressed because most of the problems experienced was on the issue of non production of inmates which resulted to unexpected large number of awaiting trial in the Warri Custodial Centre
The Chief Judge, who reviewed 639 warrants expressed dismay over the irregularity of prison officers in producing inmates to courts in Ughelli axis, stressing that taking inmates once a week from a center of over 300, was unacceptable.
“I am really distressed about the number of people going to Ughelli, distressed not just because of the number, but I just learnt that inmates are taken to that place once a week.
“I am not happy, I am not impressed. Something must have to be done; so the number of times inmates are taken to those courts must increase, “ she stated.
She advised the prison authorities to put up a proposal to address the abnormality.
