DELTA CJ RELEASES 150 INMATES, NURSING MOTHER

There was wild jubilation in the Warri Medium Prison as the State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Marshal Umukoro released a total of 65 inmates back to society as he concluded his 2017 quarterly Prison visit in Warri Medium Prison on Tuesday.

Those released included a nursing mother of a two months old baby who was standing trial for grievous harm and several others who regained their freedom to join their families in the Christmas celebration.

The Chief Judge ordered their released amidst jubilation on the grounds of ill health,  lack of diligent prosecutions,  offence committed not known to law and no case submissions rendered by the Attorney-General of the State through the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Other criteria used by the CJ to free the inmates from captivity were on the ground of the validity of the remand warrants whether it was issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the period the inmate has spent in custody awaiting trial and other exceptional circumstances.

Justice Umukoro who said he reviewed 3,036 remand warrants and released a total of 150 inmates from the Agbor, Ogwashi-Uku, Kwale, Sapele and Warri Prisons in an exercise that started on November 14, 2017, disclosed that the visits were in pursuant to the provision of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody (Special Provision) Act Cap, Volume 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 saying that they were aimed at decongesting the prisons.

While lamenting the high number of youths wasting in prison custody, the CJ observed that most inmates found their way into Prisons because they refused to live within the confines of law and morality.

He said a majority of age bracket of inmates in custody fell within 17 and 27 years which according to Justice Umukoro,  showed a gross dysfunction in the family system in the country,  adding that many of them were from poor background but was quick to say that poverty should not be an excuse to go into crime.

Amongst those released on bail was a pregnant woman while a man remanded in prison custody for over eight months for stealing a bottle of Benelyn Cough Syrup worth N1, 200 was ordered to be set free by the Chief Judge.

The Chief Judge while commending the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ernest Edomwonyi and his team for his contributions towards the success of the exercise, called for the reorganization of some Zonal Offices of the Ministry of Justice for more effective service delivery