Rivers Chief Judge frees 22 indigent prisoners
11 August 2023 |
3:43 am
Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, yesterday, released 22 inmates serving at Ahoada and Port Harcourt Nigeria Correctional facilities after the state government paid N1 million fines on their behalf.
Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, yesterday, released 22 inmates serving at Ahoada and Port Harcourt Nigeria Correctional facilities after the state government paid N1 million fines on their behalf.
The beneficiaries were inmates whose cases had been determined and were given the option of fines below N1 million.
Speaking during the event at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, Justice Chibuzor-Amadi, said the release was part of the government’s efforts to decongest the correctional facilities.
Justice Chibuzor-Amadi, who was represented by Chief Magistrate Rita Ogugua, said the gesture was part of the resolution between the Ministry of Interior and Governors’ Forum on decongesting Correctional facilities.
He, however, advised the beneficiaries to be responsible citizens of the society, stressing that they may not be lucky to have the opportunity given to them if they are found in prison again.
He said: “We are here today to give effect to what the government of Rivers State has done. To decongest the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, the state government through the office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, paid fines of some inmates in the correctional facility. The Judiciary is here to effect the release of those inmates whose fines have been paid, and this exercise is in line with what is happening nationwide.
“The Ministry of Interior in conjunction with the Governors’ Forum decided to decongest correctional centres across the country, and to do this, governors were asked to pick up the fine of these inmates. Rivers State government paid for those that are less than N1 million. We are here to release those prisoners.”
Reacting, the state’s comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Alex Oditah, commended the Rivers State government and state Judiciary for their continuous effort aimed at decongesting the facilities.
“We wish to state that the Rivers State Governor has graciously come to the aid of this correctional facility. We have some inmates who had been penciled to pay fines, but out of the 13 of them, four were remaining in the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Port Harcourt.
“Now, four of them have been duly released by the decongestion team and we want to really thank the governor for making this day a reality for the inmates.
“On behalf of the inmates, we thank you and promise that they will not commit crime again, but if they do, we will bring them before the judge and urge the court not to allow them benefit from this gesture again.”
Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), human rights groups and Federation of International Female Lawyers (FIDA) among others, were present during the event.
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