Kogi CJ frees 19 awaiting trial inmates

THE Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, has released 19 inmates awaiting trial in some prisons across the state.

He said the exercise was part of the move to decongest the prisons in the state.

Ajanah, who visited the medium security prisons in Koto-Karfe and Okene, to review the cases brought against the inmates ordered the release of 13 inmates unconditionally from the Koto-Karfe prison, while six awaiting trial inmates were Alao set free in Okene.

The Koton-Karfe medium prison originally built for 80 inmates was having 228 inmates, consisting of 173 awaiting trials, 51 convicts and four life sentence.

The chief judge’s visit however showed that some of the inmates had spent no fewer than two years for offences which punishment was not more than nine months to one year imprisonment.

He also directed the magistrate court to accelerate the hearing of a case involving a final year student of the department of mathematics, Kogi state university, Anyigba Nicholas Ojochegbe.

Those granted unconditional release were Mohammed Hassan, Yahaya Musa, Yusuf Sanni, Ibrahim Haliru, Mohammed Sani, Abdul Mudi, Nuhu Usman, Alhaji Shanga, Nura Suleiman, Gabriel Atoge and Hawal Tijani.

He commended both the personals of the Nigeria Prisons and the magistrate in the Koton Karfe/Lokoja jurisdiction for a job well done

The chief judge said 160 awaiting trials not released or granted bail are facing serious offences and due to the security situation.

The chief judge directed the magistrate court to dispense accelerated judgment to Nicholas Ojochegbe, who is a final year student of the Kogi state University, Ayingba department of mathematics.

In Okene Medium Prison, six inmates awaiting trial were released by Justice Ajanah.

The chief judge however berated the Police prosecutors and the Ministry of Justice over the manner way they handle cases which had made many if the cases linger so long.