From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Six inmates in custodial centres across Delta State regained freedom during the visit of the state Chief Judge Tessy Diai, to the centres for the 2023 first quarter jail delivery exercise.
A total of 1,854 warrants of inmates were reviewed at the five centres, out of which six inmates were released.
Giving an overview of the visit which ended at Warri Custodial Centre, Justice Tessy Diai stated that at Sapele Custodial Centre, 208 warrants of inmates were reviewed with two inmates released; 292 were reviewed at Kwale and one granted bail; at Agbor out of the 237 reviewed without release; 448 warrants were reviewed at Ogwashi-Uku while one person was set free; and in Warri 669 reviewed with two inmates released.
Justice Diai who decried the delay in the dispensation of justice, directed magistrates to compile details of criminal cases in their courts and forward same to the office of the Chief Registrar.
She specifically told magistrates covering courts in Orogun, Bomadi and Okpokunu in Ughelli North, Bomadi and Burutu councils respectively, where she discovered that most criminal cases were stagnated because inmates were not reproduced by the Warri Custodial Centre due to distance.
Diai hinted at the possibility of considering affected magistrates sitting at a convenient location close to the centre, even as she expressed concern over inmates held in perpetuity without trial.
She charged lawyers with court-assigned cases to be serious and diligent, stating that they should not only be interested in cases with pecuniary benefit.
According to her, it was inexcusable to hear that a defendant standing do not have a lawyer presentation for one year, stressing that the court has a duty to impose a lawyer on prosecution counsel.
While asking the Nigerian Bar Association to take up the matter with their members, the Chief Judge, justified the few inmates released during the entire exercise to the fact that those in custody were legitimately in the centre.
“So when there is no release it means that persons here are here legitimately, and it means that their cases are going on well,” she explained.
Justice Diai asked inmates to make whatever applications in respect to their case to the sitting judge as she does not have the power to take over a case that is in court, even as she reiterated that the three reasons why the chief judge intervenes during visits were to make sure that every inmate was legitimately in custody, that none was there longer than a period of time he would serve had he been convicted and on medical ground.
In a welcome address, the deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), Warri Custodial Centre, Mr Edo Joseph Lucky expressed hope that the visit of the Chief Judge would result in freedom for deserving inmates.
While thanking the Chief Judge for finding time out of her tight schedule to visit custodial facilities across the state, the DCC disclosed that as of May 2 the Warri centre has a lockup of 1012 comprising of 439 convicts and 573 awaiting trial inmates.