Chief Judge of Bayelsa, Justice Kate Abiri, has granted pardon to eight Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATI).
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abiri pardoned the inmates while performing Jail Delivery Exercise on Thursday, to decongest the correctional centre amidst the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world.
Five of the inmates were released immediately, while three others were granted bail at Nigerian Correctional Service, Yenagoa, the state capital.
The chief judge also donated food items and toiletries to inmates as palliatives in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
She said: “We were here, precisely in October 25, 2017. The purpose of the Jail Delivery is to decongest the prisons.
“Prisons get congested through the years, it is regular visits to the prisons that will help in the need to decongest.
“It is discovered that some persons (inmates), who are awaiting trial ought not to remain in custody where matters for which they are charged are not murder cases or armed robbery.
”However, if they are, where it is discovered that the prosecution of the cases are moving at slow pace or not heard at all for one reason or the other, bail can be granted.
“Today’s exercise will be looking at such cases as well. There are also those who were granted bail by the courts but could not perfect their bail conditions. Bail of such inmates can be reviewed.
“Some who have stayed almost the period they could have served if convicted, may be released.
“Any inmate so released is advised to turn a new leaf and become useful to themselves and the society at large,” she said.
Abiri said this year’s jail delivery exercise is also necessitated by the prevailing circumstances of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
“As a result, there is a very urgent need to decongest the prisons as much as possible to forestall any eventuality, which we don’t pray for,” she said.
Abiri, said the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Special Provisions Act Cap C40 Laws of Bayelsa, empowered the State Chief Judge to release under certain circumstances, persons detained in prison in the state.
In his address, Deputy Controller of Corrections, in charge Yenagoa Custodial Centre, Mr Amayo West, commended the chief judge for the visit.
He said the inmates were in high spirit, knowing that she was a humane and kind mother to all.
“Sincerely, since my assumption of duty here, my inmates have been calm. They are behaving well, and therefore, need your assistance of having legitimate freedom.
“Let me appreciate you my lord and all your judicial staff for the cordial relationship that have been existing between us.
“My lord, also opermit me to say we have challenges, the major of which are insufficient operational vehicles, especially for rural courts and the usual movement of condemned convicts (CC) to Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Port-Harcourt, Rivers.
“Often times, some of my inmates are referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, when they are sick. Whenever they are admitted, I usually end up spending lots of money in their course of treatment and defraying their medical bills out of my salary without refund,” he said.
The Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service, Bayelsa Command, Mr Seth Edoghotu, commended the gesture of Justice Abiri, saying that under her, the judiciary in the state had ensured quick dispensation of justice and accelerated hearing of cases of awaiting trial inmates.
He observed that through robust and smooth cordial relationship with the judiciary and the executive arms of government in the state, the campaign for decongestion of prisons could be attained.
The controller said the gesture of granting pardon to awaiting trial inmates was aimed at decongesting prisons and ensuring that suspects did not stay much longer than necessary while on awaiting trial.(NAN)