Niger Chief Judge visits Custodial Centres, releases 118 inmates

A total of 118 inmates secured their freedom across the custodial centres in Niger state, during the state wide visit by the Chief judge of Niger State, Justice Mohammed Aliyu Mayaki.

The Chief judge who embarked on the annual Custodial Centre’s visit on Monday, the 5th of May, 2020 was at the two Centres in Minna, where he reviewed cases of some inmates who are standing trial for long period of time without being taken to court for proper prosecution.

Also the chief judge had during the visit, ordered for the instant trial of some inmates that have been languishing in the custodial centres on minor offences that if convicted they would have completed their jail terms.

Those that breath the air of freedom were those inmates on awaiting trial for over six years for capital offences of culpable homicide which their original case files could not be traced to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), in the state ministry of Justice.

Similarly, Justice Mohammed Aliyu Mayaki, granted freedom to those inmates who were inflicted with one health challenges or the other while serving their jail terms in the 9 centres across the state.

He equally discharged some inmates that their case files and their statement could not be located at the office of the head of legal department of the state Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), of the Niger State Police Command and were languishing in the custodial centre for seven years without taken them to court for prosecution.

Also the chief judge freed those inmates who turned a new leaves while serving their jail terms, and were recommended by the officer in-charge of the visited custodial centres.

However, some of the inmates that were not lucky that mother smile did not fall on them were those that their cases has commenced at various courts as a result of the legal advice from the office of the DPP in the ministry of Justice.

The chief judge warmed the released inmates to guide against any action that will bring them back to the custodial centres urging them to engage themselves in a meaningful venture that would make them to be useful to themselves and the society.

Justice Aliyu Mayaki, while commending Men and officers of the Nigeria Custodial centres across the state explained that the support and co-operation accorded him during his visit made the assaingment hitchfree for him and his team.