The Nigerian Correctional Centre, Rivers State Command , said it would partner the state government to reduce the number of inmates on awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt facility.
The Command stated that the move was aimed at decongesting the facility, which he said , currently housed over 300 inmates on death row.
The New Controller of Port Harcourt Correctional Centre , Alex Oditah , disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday shortly after taking over from his predecessor, Tinuoye Olumide , who was promoted to Assistant Controller General of Prisons .
Oditah specifically said he would work with the State Chief Judge as well as Attorney General of the state to check the issue of congestion of the Port Harcourt correctional facility.
He said , “I know in Port Harcourt Correctional facility, there are over 300 people on death row . The Act has also given power to the Chief Judge to commit to death sentence those who have spent 10 years and above and have exhausted all means of appeal .
“He ( Chief Judge ) has exclusive right without recourse to the governor to commit them to life imprisonment . Once they are committed to life imprisonment , we can now transfer them to states where they have space .”
