The Chief Judge of Ebonyi, Justice Anselem Nwigwe, has granted freedom to 20 inmates of the Abakaliki Custodial Centre.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inmates were freed during a jail delivery exercise embarked upon by the chief judge on Tuesday in Abakaliki.
Nwigwe, in a brief remark, noted that the exercise was part of efforts to decongest correctional centres in view of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
He said that 14 awaiting trial inmates were granted conditional bail, while four were granted bail on self-recognisance and two others discharged.
โWe have released 20 inmates; 14 of them were granted conditional bail and will leave the facility once they fulfill the bail conditions.
โWe granted bail to four on self recognisance, while two were discharged.
โThe exercise is aimed at complementing the state governmentโs efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the country.
โWe have adjourned the exercise till May 6. It is a continuous one to decongest the custodial centres and enhance social distancing among inmates,โ Nwigwe said.
Meanwhile, Mrs Emelia Oputa, the Controller of Correctional Services (CCS), Ebonyi Command, has commended the exercise, saying it was part of the nationwide initiative to decongest custodial centres.
She said that the exercise had become imperative due to the congestion in most of the correctional facilities, stressing that there was the need to create room for social distancing due to the pandemic.
โThe exercise is in consideration of the need for the inmates, who are also part of the society, to distance themselves due to the pandemic.
โThe jail delivery has given opportunity to those who ordinarily wouldnโt have regained freedom.
โThe exercise is helping to decongest the facility, because as at two months ago, we had about 1,200 inmates. But now, we have 1,056 inmates.
โThe exercise today has further decongested the yard, with the release of additional 20 inmates.
โAlso we are not receiving fresh inmates, because there is lockdown in the custodial centres due to the ravaging pandemic,โ Oputa said.
Only awaiting trial inmates, with minor offences or special considerations, were released.
