ASABA/Nigeria: More inmates have breathed air of freedom at the Sapele Medium Security Custodial Centre during the ongoing visit by the Chief Judge (CJ) of Delta State, Honourable Justice Tessy Diai, to custodial centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The four inmates, Sampson Oghenegweke, Odi Oghenervwe, Obakporo Oghorodi Couple and Abdulahi Karimu, were among the 190 cases of awaiting trials, reviewed by the State Chief Judge.
The inmates who were held in custody for alleged offences, ranging from murder, conspiracy, unlawful carnal knowledge to secret cult jumped up in jubilation after their discharge and expressed gratitude to God and the Chief Judge by serving them justice, reiterating their innocence.
Rounding off the exercise on Thursday, Justice Diai said that the total number of inmates released from the Warri and Sapele Custodial Centres visited so fat stood at nine while reviewed cases of awaiting trials was 661.
Counsel to Samson Oghenegweke, one of the released inmates, Mr. Kingsley Otoghile, from the Legal Aid Council in Warri, argued that keeping his client in prison custody for three and half years without trial negated the spirit and letters of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Delta State, 2017 which, core purpose was speedy dispensation of justice.
According to him, having recourse to the antecedent of his client’s case who was charged for an alleged unlawful carnal knowledge, and with information by Director of Public Prosecution to the effect that no witness had come to testify since his detention, the defendant deserved to be discharged for the interest of justice.
The Chief Judge haven carefully examined the facts of Oghenegweke’s case and taking into congnisance of DPP’s legal opinion, discharged the inmate.
In response to the address of the Deputy Controller of Sapele Custodial Centre, Eugene Amechi Nwanze, Justice Diai promised to communicate their appeal for provision of logistics to the state government, even as she acknowledged the immense assistance the state had rendered to custodial centres in the state.
Earlier, the Deputy Controller appealed for assistance of the Chief Judge in speaking to the state government to provide more vehicles to ease in the producing and reproducing of inmates in courts for trials, and to implore judges and magistrates to give concession to custody cases during court proceedings in view of prevailing security situation in the country.
He disclosed that the centre which had the capacity of 293 inmates had at present 197 lock up as at the day of the visit.
