Monday July 21, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |
The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Justice Ekaette Fabian-Obot, has freed 133 inmates during a statewide jail delivery exercise across four custodial centres.
The exercise, which began earlier this week, covered the Medium Security Custodial Centres (MSCCs) in Ikot Abasi, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, and Uyo.
Justice Obot was accompanied by a delegation of judicial officers, prosecutors, representatives of the Legal Aid Council, officials of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and human rights observers.
At each centre, Officers-in-Charge welcomed the Chief Judge and her team, providing briefs on inmate population, facility conditions, and operational challenges.
At the MSCC in Uyo, Assistant Controller of Corrections Ezekiel Inyang specially acknowledged the Chief Judge’s prior donation of a high-voltage Fireman petrol generator, describing it as timely and impactful.
Speaking during the visit, Justice Obot underscored the importance of jail delivery exercises in promoting justice and protecting the fundamental human rights of inmates.
“This exercise aligns with the constitutional mandate of the judiciary to ensure that no person is unjustly detained without due process,” she said.
Justice Obot expressed concern over the poor hygiene in the sickbay dormitory and instructed that it be thoroughly sanitized.
She further directed that no new inmates be admitted to the dormitory until the risk of disease spread is fully addressed.
She observed that many of the inmates being held were charged with minor offences and had already spent more time in custody than the maximum sentence such offences would typically attract.
The release of the 133 inmates was based on various grounds, including excessive remand durations, lack of diligent prosecution, health conditions, missing case files, and compassionate considerations. Of the 133 inmates released, four were from Ikot Abasi, 23 from Eket, 29 from Ikot Ekpene, and 77 from Uyo.
Justice Obot charged the freed inmates to embrace good conduct and avoid returning to the correctional system. She expressed disappointment at the high number of inmates still awaiting trial—some without formal charges—and noted that several had been held for periods longer than any sentence they might have received if convicted.
