Minna: Retiring State Chief Judge lashes at Police over poor prosecution of suspects

Twenty-five inmates on awaiting trial at the Minna Old correctional custody have breath the air of freedom as the chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Aisha Lami Bawa Bwari embarked on visit to the correctional centres to decongest the custody centres across the State.

Justice Aisha Bawa Bwari who will be retiring from the service on the 27th of February, 2022 embarked on the visit to decongest the correctional centres as part of her annual visit.

The Chief Judge was to embark on the visit to the correctional centres earlier, but was delayed as a result of insecurity pervading the State.

During her two days visit to the correctional facilities in Minna, the Chief Judge attended to some cases of inmates that over stayed in the facilities without trial in courts as their case files could not be traced in the office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Ministry of Justice.

Those released by the chief judge have been in detention beyond their conviction which if convicted would have served their supposed jail terms.

Also Justice Aisha Bawa Bwari released those who have turned a new leaf while in detention and others were released on health ground.

She took a swipe at the legal unit of the State Police Command and prosecuting police officers for deliberately keeping suspects in detention without proving any case against them.

She warned them to desist from keeping suspects in custody without establishing any evidence against them in court.

She told the released inmates to guide against any act that will bring them back to the facilities, stressing the need for them to engage themselves in meaningful ventures that will make them self reliant.

Speaking earlier, the State Controller of the Correctional Centres in Niger State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Sulyman commended the Chief Judge for the visit noting that her visit have decongested the facilities.