A total number of 415 inmates have been released from the Port Harcourt prisons.
They were released conditionally and unconditionally, depending on crimes committed by the inmates, which included rape, arm robbery, stealing and other related crimes.
This was part of the 2012 gaol delivery exercise by the chief judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu.
The exercise which commenced on Monday May 21, 2012 witnessed 156 inmates being released on the first day, on Tuesday May 22, 2012, 159 inmates were released, while on Wednesday, 85 were released, making a total of 400 inmates so far released.
About 85% of those granted bail were awaiting trail inmates who have not been tried for three years and above.
Others were released based on their old age or being under aged. Other beneficiaries of the gesture were inmates with various illnesses and challenges, those in detention for more than two years without being taken to court and those who were unjustly detained.
The inmates were granted bail in different sums of money ranging N100,000, N200,000, N300,000 and N350,000 with a surety.
Addressing the inmates at the first day of the exercise, Justice Iche Ndu expressed dismay over the detention of under aged inmates with adult criminal suspects in the same custody and reiterated his earlier advise that they should be appropriately reminded at remand homes.
On his plans for the state judiciary, he said his plan was to enhance the trial of criminal management and stressed that there was need to ensure good administration of criminal justice.
He further clarified that there was nobody that was granted bail that supposed to deposit money, adding that bail is granted if it is with any sum, with a surety attached to it so that if the person failed to come when required, the surety will forfeit the amount stated in the bail bond.
Justice Ndu urged those released to see it as a part of honour.
Justice Ndu further advised them to learn how to earn a living in a genuine way and not in a shabby method or ways.
He urged women inmates who were also discharged to learn trades and charged all the inmates to avoid anything that would bring them back to the detention and commended the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) the press, FIDA, Police NGO who were part of the exercise.
In his speech, the deputy controller of Prisons, Rivers State command, Mr. Uche Nwobi, who commended Justice Iche Ndu and his team for the exercise, noted that the exercise has gone a long way to decongest the prisons and urged the inmates to turn a new leaf.
In their separate speeches, the representatives of NBA, FIDA, Police DPP, among others, described the exercise as successful and commended the chief Judge of Rivers State for the gesture.
They advised the inmates to engage themselves in trades and other jobs and not be to be idle or participate in ungodly activities that would bring them back to the prison.
They also advised that they should seek advices from churches and human right activities to make them change. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
