209 awaiting inmates freed, 70 others jailed in three days in Adamawa

As part of efforts to decongest Correctional centres, and in the exercise of the prerogative of mercy, the Adamawa State Chief Judge, Justice Nathan Musa, has discharged 209 and convicted 70 inmates awaiting trial within 3 days.

Justice Nathan Musa, who is the chairman of, Jail Delivery Committee also granted bail to 49 out of 712 inmates awaiting trial at the Jimeta and Yola town custody in the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The CJ had on Monday and Tuesday discharged 119, convicted 49 summarily, granted bail to 31 suspects and referred 1 out of 410 inmates in Jimeta correctional centre to the Area Court, for review.

At the Correctional Centre in Yola town on Thursday, the CJ discharged 90, convicted 21 and granted bail to 18 out of 302 inmates remanded for allegedly committing various offences.

Addressing the inmates shortly after the exercise at Yola correctional centre, Justice Nathan, said that the inmates were discharged based on the information the committee received from the Investigative Police Officers (IPOs) and from what they heard from the inmates.

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He said that some of the inmates have unnecessarily been remanded in prison for about 8, 10 to 11 years without trial, explaining that they have observed from records that some were remanded for civil matters instead of criminal matters.

He pointed out that some have been remanded for years without going to court, and that the committee was left with no option but to discharge them, saying that some of the case files either got missing at the ministry of justice or at the police headquarters.

He added that it is better for 10 criminals to go scot-free than 1 innocent person to be convicted because according to him, out of the 10 criminals allowed to go scot-free, they may be arrested again and brought back.

Hon. Justice Nathan Musa advised them to go back to society and be good citizens telling them that “if you go back to criminal ways again, the long hand of the will catch up with you.”

In his vote of thanks, the Deputy Comptroller Yola town correctional centre, DC Isa Nuru, appreciated the CJ and his committee for the successful exercise.