The Chief Justice of Rivers State, Justice Simon Amadi, has pardoned and freed 10 inmates serving at the Port Harcourt correctional centre.
The 10 suspects were on awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in various offences.
Eight of the freed inmates were for capital offences, including rape, murder, conspiracy, and have already spent five to ten years in custody, while the other two were of minor offences and have spent between one to five years.
Justice Amadi granted the 10 inmates freedom during the 2021 Goal Delivery Exercise of the state.
The State CJ, who explained that the exercise was pursuant to the provision of Section 11 of Criminal Justice Law of the Federation of Nigerian Act, 2004, which was in a bid to decongest the Correctional facility, directed Magistrates who are not on vacation to seat at the prison facility during vacation to sort out issues on the minor offense and grant bail where necessary.
The State Chief Judge, however, advised those granted pardon not to return to crime or would have themselves to be blamed, even as he assured to continue with the exercise on resumption from vacation.
Meanwhile, the Controller of Corrections, Rivers State Command, Odita Alex, commended the state government for the step which he said will help decongest the correctional facility.
Alex requested the government to consider granting pardons to those with mental disorders due to the lack of facilities to accommodate them.
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