In line with determinations to fast-track administration of criminal justice in Kogi State, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Josiah Majebi, has proposed to visit all correctional centres in the state with a view to decongesting over populated centres, review other cases of the awaiting trial inmates and facilitate speedy trial of cases.

The Chief Judge made this known while speaking at a meeting with stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice in Kogi State at High Court complex in Lokoja at the weekend, stated that the decongestion exercise was long overdue.

The stakeholders comprising the Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Correctional Service, Legal Aid Council, DSS and the Nigerian Bar Association appreciated the Chief Judge for the decision, noting that the exercise was long overdue as it has taken more than two years when it was last embarked upon.

The body said conducting the exercise would bring succour to some awaiting trial inmates who are major beneficiaries that usually look forward to it.

Justice Majebi had told the stakeholders that despite the High Court’s lean purse, the law provides that prisons be periodically visited and decongested by the CJ so that respite can come the way of awaiting trial inmates who may have been groaning in jail as a result of wrongful detention.

He said the exercise would be undertaken at the expense of other needs due to financial paucity.

According to him, “We have critically looked at our situation but have decided to make sacrifices on behalf of our wrongfully detained citizens in the prisons. We have decided to decongest the prisons and this depends on logistics which means funding. We have said on different occasions that after the payment of salaries and Judges’ allowances, the court barely subsists.

However, we have chosen to suspend every other administrative needs this time so as to discharge two fundamental duties of the High Court which are prisons decongestion and appeals sittings. So we said if what is left after payment of salaries and allowances can accommodate them, we will try to conduct them.”

Representatives of each of the organisation hinted on their readiness to make the exercise fruitful as they also appreciated the timing of the exercise. The Ministry of Justice noted in particular that there has been tremendous improvement on the part of the judiciary in assigning cases since the CJ came on board just as the CJ equally praised the ministry for currently charging offenders to court promptly unlike before.

He said he was glad that the ministry was being proactive because the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kogi State, 2017, stipulates time within which offenders must be charged to court, and when not complied with it, makes it particularly difficult for magistrates who must act within the provisions of the law.

When also pleaded with by the stakeholders over the fate of the Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee which was inaugurated by the late Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Nasiru Ajanah, but had remained dormant, the CJ announced that the committee would soon be made functional when funding is made available.

“Immediately I came in, I identified the committee as one of the mechanisms of administering criminal justice in the state. But when I asked if it was functioning, I was told it has not even met for once due to lack of fund. So we are working along with the Attorney-General of the state and other relevant organs, and we have included it in our proposal to the governor. So as soon as funding is made available, the committee will commence its activities immediately,” he added.

While observing that awaiting trial inmates who were relocated to Kuje Correctional Centre were adversely affected during their trials, the stakeholders were in agreement that those awaiting trial at the Family Court levels be also presented for review of their cases. It will be the first time the cases of such category of offenders will be reviewed, as they urged the correctional centres to endeavor to make all awaiting trial inmates readily available for the exercise.