Rivers CJ Pardons 27 Inmates
The Chief Justice of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi on Tuesday(December 21,2021) granted pardon to twenty seven inmates(24 men and 3 women) and released the twenty seven of them from PortHarcourt correctional centre in a Gaol delivery exercise.
Seven out of the twenty seven were released on ground.
Justice Amadi urged the released inmates to be good citizens and never to do things that we bring them back to the correctional centre.
The Chief Judge revealed that the Gaol delivery exercise under his watch will be on quarterly basis.
The released inmates,in their response thanked the Chief Judge for the gesture and promised to be of good behaviour.
At the commencement of the exercise at the Port Harcourt correctional centre, the Chief Judge said the Gaol delivery exercise is aimed at decongesting the correctional facility.
The Chief Judge disclosed that in pursuance to section 34 of criminal justice administration of Rivers state,the exercise considered inmates who have overstayed,those who are to be granted bail and others on health ground.
Justice Amadi who outline some of the factors contributing to congestion of correctional centre to include poor investigation of cases,delay in Department of Public Prosecution(DPP) rendering legal advice, inability of persons granted bail to perfect their bail conditions amongst others.
Meanwhile a Non Governmental Organization, Legal Care Advocacy Foundation whose main objective is to re- habilitate released prison inmates, promised to re-unite some of the pardoned inmates with their family.
Some other stakeholders frowned at a situation where Directorate of Public Prosecution do not have case of file of inmates awaiting trial for over Nine years.
Our correspondent reports that head of Directorate of Public Prosecution, some Judges and Magistrates, Chief Registrar of High Court, Management of Correctional Centres in Rivers State,members of Nigeria Bar Association, FIDA,Non Governmental Organizations,were all present.