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Updated: Nursing Mother, Pregnant Woman Among 150 Inmates Released By Delta Chief Judge
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A nursing mother of a two months old baby was among the 150 prison inmates that were released on Tuesday by the Chief Judge of Delta State, Honourable Justice Marshal Umukoro as he concludes 2017 quarterly Prison visit.
While bring the exercise to an end, Justice Marshal Umukoro laments high number of young persons in prison custody which he attributes to parental failure.
BigPen Online report that about 65 inmate were released in the Okere prison, Warri among the over 1,077 inmates who are mainly awaiting trials in the facility.
The prison inmates were released from the facility based on health grounds, as well as too much delay in their trials at the Courts.
However, some of the inmates complained that they have been in prison since 2012, but nothing had been done since then.
The releases inmates expressed happiness and thanked the CJ for the gesture, with a promise not to be involved in crime again.
The development triggered wild jubilation in the Warri Medium Prison today (Tuesday) as the Chief Judge released a total number of 65 inmates to join their families in Christmas celebration.
Those released include a nursing mother of a two months old baby who was standing trial for grievous harm and several others who also regained their freedom to reunite with their families.
The Chief Judge ordered their released amidst jubilation on the grounds of ill health, lack of diligent Prosecutions by the Police, offence committed not known to law and no case to answer based on the legal advice from the Attorney-General of the State through the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Other criteria used by the CJ to free the inmates from captivity was on the ground of the validity of the remand warrants whether it was issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the period the inmate has spent in custody awaiting trial and other exceptional circumstances.
Justice Marshal who said he reviewed 3036 remand warrants and released a total of number of 150 inmates from the Agbor, Ogwashi-Uku, Kwale, Sapele and Warri Prisons in an exercise that started on November 14, 2017.
He disclosed that the visitation was in pursuant to the provision of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody (Special Provision) Act Cap, Volume 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and in order to exemplify the passionate desire of the Honourable Chief Judge to decongest the Prisons.
While lamenting the High number of youths wasting away in prison custody, the CJ observed that most inmates find their way into Prisons because they refused to live within the confines of law and morality.
He said a majority of age bracket of inmates in custody fall within 17 and 27 years which according to Justice Umukoro, shows a gross dysfunction in our family system in the country, adding that many of them were from poor background but was quick to say that poverty should not be an excuse to go into crime.
Amongst those released on bail was a pregnant woman while a man remanded in prison custody for over eight months for stealing a bottle of benlyin cough syrup worth N1200 was ordered to be set free by the Chief Judge.
The Chief Judge while commending the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ernest Edomwonyi and his team for his contributions towards the success of the exercise, called for the reorganization of some Zonal Offices of the Ministry for more effective service delivery.
Judicial officials during the exercise
Below are some of the inmates who were released today in at Warri prison
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