Niger Chief Judge frees 82 inmates from Minna prisons

Eighty-two inmates serving various jail terms in Minna prisons have been released by the Chief Judge of Niger state, Justice Maria ZUkogi.

The breakdown shows that 38 inmates regain freedom from Minna old prison, while 44 serving terms at the medium prison also known as new prison in the state capital were granted pardon.

The Chief Judge during a maiden working visit to the affected prisons also ordered the police to duplicate and forward the case files of 33 other culpable homicide suspects to the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) within two weeks or set them free.

Speaking to journalist on Tuesday on the development, she said some of the inmates were released on health grounds while others were of good behavior and remorseful in prison.

She expressed serious concern over the manner in which the police have been neglecting cases of culpable homicide and capital offences without transferring case files to the Director of Public Prosecution for trials.

“I don’t see any reason why for four years, you cannot send duplicate case files of these suspects to ministry of justice”, she said.

Speaking, the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, in charge of old Minna prison, Alhaji, Mohammed Nma Ndeshi commended the Chief Judge for the release of the inmates, saying the gesture would go along way in decongesting the prisons.