By Edwin Philip
Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, has set free 35 inmates at the Keffi Minimum Custodial Centre in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state.
The Inmates were set free during a visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi Baba-Yusuf.
Speaking during an interview with journalist shortly after the exercise, the Chief Judge said the essence of the custodial visit is to ensure that the facility is decongested getting rid of persons who are not supposed to be there.
According to him, the exercise is a continuation routine visit to ensure that people are not allowed to suffer unnecessarily in custody when they are supposed to walking free.
He said that he has assigned new dates for inmates attend courts for the conclusion of their cases particularly those facing one form of delay or the other delay in the conclusion of their cases
“I have also given directive to the Director in charge of the magistrates to do oversight functions on some of these courts whenever the matters comes to the courts so that we ensure that the proceedings of the courts runs smoothly,” he added.
The Chief Judge noted that the Magistrates handling cases in the FCT courts have also been given a matching order to improve on case management strategy for quick dispensation of justice so that inmates are able to know their fate.
Reacting to jail delivery spearheaded her organization, Ms. Cynthia Onyeka, Program Officer, Public and Private Development Center (PPDC) a Civil Society Organisation commended the Chief Judge for taking out time out of his busy schedules to visit the custodial centres to review some cases and set free those who are not supposed to be in custody so as to decongest the centres.
According to her, Nigeria have one of the highest rate of anti trial detentions and this has led to overcrowded custodial centres across Nigeria and it attendant consequences.
Speaking on the reason for the intervention, she said that PPDC is throwing it weight behind the he initiative because for Nigerians to have access to justice including the vulnerable who cannot afford legal representation, which is their core mandate.
“For activities like this, when we come we support the Chief Judge paying fines and today we were able to pay fines amounting to N1.5 Million to support the releases of some persons just to ensure that the numbers in the custodial centres reduce,” she said.
In a similar development, another NGO, Hope Behind Bars, offsets the fines and compensations of inmates totaling N 400, 000.
On her part, the chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers, Nigeria, Abuja Branch Barr. Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, also appreciated the Chief Judge for allowing mercy prevail over justice releasing the inmates.
“I also commend all the noble entities the NGOS that came in to lend their support towards paying off compensation or fines that have been ordered court”.
Speaking earlier, the Officer in Charge of Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre, Sumaila Bulus, thanked the FCT Chief Judge for the visit and the setting free of some inmates which will to him help decongest the facility currently occupied 667 inmates.
According to him, he has been reaching out for help in the areas of utility vehicles to convey Inmates from the custodial centers to various courts around the FCT, adding that the two functional vehicles takes turns to break down and are not capable of conveying the over 90 Inmates to attend courts daily which some time takes about 9m for the last batch of Inmates to return to the facilities.