Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Justice Ekaete Fabian-Obot, has released a total of 100 inmates across the four Medium Security Custodial facilities in the State.
This brought to an end her weeklong inspection of the facilities for the first quarter of the year.
Two inmates were released from Ikot Abasi ā Eight from Eket, Twenty-seven from Ikot Ekpene while Uyo had Sixty-three.
The Chief Judge, who carefully went through over a thousand case files had the 100 inmates released on compassionate considerations, health grounds, missing case files, trumped-up charges and lack of diligent prosecution.
The Chief Judge in her remarks urged all released inmates to maintain good conduct and refrain from returning to crime.
She also criticized the practice by some police officers of obtaining remand orders and abandoning cases without returning to court after the stipulated 21 days.
She also advised magistrates to take proactive steps by fixing dates to strike out such cases and notifying relevant parties, emphasizing that cases should be struck out where there is failure to follow due process.
Among the special cases in Uyo custodial centre were 20 inmates suffering from serious health conditions.
One of them, Godwin Francis Etim, who is battling tuberculosis, was referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Ikot Ekpene for treatment.
A pregnant inmate in her final trimester, facing medical complications beyond the facilityās capacity, was also released to access proper care.
Another notable case was that of Magdalene Bassey Edet, who had been convicted by two different courts on separate charges arising from the same offence.
Having already completed a 10-year sentence, she was serving an additional two-year term for the same matter having been convicted by another court while serving the 10 year term.
In granting her release, the Chief Judge acknowledged the report of her good conduct and placed her on probation for the remaining two years, requiring her to report every three months.
She, however, warned that any further offence would result in her return to custody to complete the outstanding sentence.
Among those released on other grounds were four inmates whose cases could not proceed due to missing files, reportedly linked to the prolonged illness of a prosecutor absent for about three years.
Six others were found to have been wrongfully charged.
One such case involved Idara Christopher Kingsley, who had been detained in place of her husband after reporting a machete assault against her.
Her husband was wanted in connection with a fight involving family members, but she was instead arrested.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Officer in Charge of Uyo custodial centre, DCC Ezekiel Ebenezer Inyang, described the visit as timely, noting that the custodial centre is currently grappling with severe overcrowding.
He revealed that the facility, originally built in 1912, now houses over 1,600 inmates and is significantly overstretched.
He further recounted the impact of a recent windstorm accompanied by heavy rainfall on Tuesday, February 17, which damaged three cell blocks and brought down part of the perimeter fence, plunging the facility into disarray.
Chief Judge frees 100 inmates in Akwa Ibom
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