By: Yahaya Zakka Minna.
About twenty five 25 inmates awaiting trial at the old Minna Correctional Centre have been released from prison for over stayed without trial and I’ll health.
The Chief Judge of Niger state, Justice Aisha Bawa Bwari on her visit of Correctional center across the state ordered the release of the inmates as part of activities lined up to kick start her exit from the public service.
The chief judge Aisha Bawa Bwari said that they were discharged as they have over stayed hence it served as part of their jail term LL for the alleged offense they might have committed.
Two of the inmates were summarily tried and dischared based on the fact that there were no envidence and Police could not produce the original files to warrant their continued stay at the Correctional center.
Alisha Bawa Bwari also release some inmates based on the advice by the Director, Department of Public Prosecution DPP, in the state Ministry of Justice.
The chief judge however expressed dismay over the manner in which the police prosecutors delay most of the cases leading to the denial of justice and uneccessary stay in the prison without trial in Court.
She however added that Judges and Magistrate should always take their time to go through Police first information report FIR thoroughly to ascertaining if the offense suspect are charged or are said to have committed taley with the Law and section in PCL ( constitution ).
The Chief Judge then advised the released inmates to be of good behaviour and desist from any act that will bring them back to the Correctional center adding that Law shall take it course on them if they are found wanting.
Speaking earlier, the Controller Operations, Old Minna Correctional Centre, Sulaiman Abdulkadir, appreciated the efforts of the chief judge to decongest the facility and for the visit to the prison, describing it as timely adding that the Minna old Correctional center has over 500 inmates as at the time of her visit.
