Seven inmates at Medium Security Custodial Centre, Nnewi, Anambra State have regained their freedom.
The inmates were freed by State Chief Judge, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu during his visit to the facility in continuation of his jail delivery exercise, which is part of activities lined up for the 2023/2024 legal year.
The freed inmates included Okechukwu Okafor, Chidera Agu, Charles Chime, Oluchukwu Mmadu, Ifechukwu Mbaojiriude, Tochukwu Ndiogulu and Cyril Nwaolisa.
While discharging the inmates, Justice Anyachebelu ordered the Assistant Controller of Corrections in charge of the facility, Barrister Raymond Okonkwo, to ensure their immediate release from custody.
Justice Anyachebelu however denied bail applications for one Chukwuemeka Obijiofor, who is facing multiple murder charge, and ordered that his trial continues at the regular court; where it has been fixed for January 24, 2024.
He also ordered that the case of one Sunday Egbuta, accused of defiling a five-year old girl, be fixed for December 14, 2023 for bail application at the regular court.
The Chief Judge also granted bail and reviewed bail conditions of other inmates, and also ordered that their trials continue at the regular court.
He remarked that some people are justifiably detained in custodial facilities while others are not, adding that the jail delivery exercise is a way of addressing observed lapses in criminal justice administration, including incidents of missing case files.
Earlier before the court proceedings that lasted for hours, Justice Anyachebelu explained that cases of sick inmates, the elderly and people who have not gone to court for long for one reason or the other are given priority during such exercise.
Counsel to some of the beneficiaries of the jail delivery exercise, Barrister Lotanna Ogbuchukwu, while commending the Anambra Chief Judge on the exercise, advised his clients and others to become changed persons and avoid things that bring people to prison custody, as well as use the skills they must have acquired to better their lives.
Meanwhile, at the last check, the Assistant Controller of Corrections in charge of the facility, Barrister Okonkwo, informed ABS that the seven inmates have been released as ordered by Justice Anyachebelu, and advised all, especially those on senior secondary school certificate examination at the centre, to ensure they complete the exercise and use the skills they acquired to reshape their future and become useful to the society.
He called on well-to-do individuals and groups to assist in making correctional centres what it should be by helping inmates acquire further education and or skills, just as he thanked all that have been helping in that regard.
