Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, yesterday, granted pardon to 53 inmates standing trial for different offences at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.
The Chief Judge said the gesture was part of the weeklong programmes put in place by the state judiciary to herald its 2023/2024 legal year, as well as to decongest the correctional facility.
Amadi said the release was made in compliance with the provisions section 34 subsection 1 of the criminal justice law of Rivers State and the Special Provision Act of the law of the federation, which empowered him to do so. He added that it became imperative to decongest the correctional centres.
The Chief Judge, however, called for effective synergy among all stakeholders in the criminal administration system, stressing that the judiciary, correctional services, law enforcement agencies, legal organisations, and community leaders must work hand in hand for justice to prevail in society.
He further stated that a stakeholder meeting was held before the goal delivery exercise to scrutinise the list submitted by the correction centre and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to ascertain those who have no questions to answer but are languishing in the correction centre.
Amadi, also, used the opportunity to call on the police to do a discreet and thorough investigation before charging a suspect to court. He advised the released inmates to be of good behaviour, and turn a new leaf in life, stressing that they may not be lucky next time if they are caught in a crime and brought back to the correction centre.
In his remarks, the comptroller of the state correction service, Mr Felix Lawrence, commended the criminal justice system administration in the State for effective services in the decongestion of the Port-Harcourt Maximum Correctional Service.
Lawrence disclosed that he met over 4,000 inmates when he took over in June last year, stressing that the number has dropped to a thousand lower due to the consistent goal delivery exercise by the
Chief Judge’s Administration.