27 inmates regain freedom in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State Chief Judge, Justice Elvis Ngene, has freed 27 inmates of the state’s correctional centres.

Justice Ngene, while briefing newsmen yesterday in Abakaliki, the state capital, said the inmates were freed during a “goal delivery” exercise.

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The exercise, he said, was part of efforts to decongest correctional centres.

He said, “Some inmates have stayed beyond the time they ought to be. Some were awaiting trial but have not been appearing in court, while some were forgotten in the jail”.

“In this Goal Delivery, two inmates were discharged and acquitted, 27 were granted bail and 21 were further remanded all in both Nigeria Correctional Centre Abakaliki and Afikpo Custodial Centre“. Justice Ngene added.

The Controller Corrections, Nigeria Correctional Services, Ebonyi State Command, Mr Ndubuisi Ogbodo, said the decongestion exercise was a welcome development essentially in the area of management and service delivery in the centre.