118 inmates awaiting trials at the Jimeta prison have been granted freedom by the Adamawa state Jail Delivery Committee headed by the state Chief Judge, Justices Ishaya Banu .
Justice Banu explained that the exercise was aimed at reviewing majorly awaiting trial cases by the inmates noting that 396 cases were reviewed where 85 were released on bail unconditionally and 33 inmates were released on bail with conditions.
This came to be as part of the committee’s efforts to decongest the prisons which were over flowing with inmates
“As part of prerogative of mercy, the committee came to review cases of those awaiting trials and see that they get bail and also those to be set free be free”, Banu stated.
” As you have seen today, some of the inmate released was based on long stay in the prison , some with health problems, we equally considered under aged inmates”, he stated further.
Banu however warned the released inmates to keep up from those utterances that lead them back to jail charging them to be of good character and useful to themselves and their societies .
Those who got their freedom include 4 under age boys, two cases of serious health challenge while others freed include cases of wondering, assault and theft of handsets while 33 of the 118 released were granted bail.
The Jimeta prison which was built in 1938 has a capacity for 300 inmate but before the open court visit of the CJ over 680 inmates are awaiting trials in various courts in the state.
In an interview with one of the freed inmate who was charged with robbery Abdulmajeed Peter, a computer operator in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba state thank God for his freedom
” What I saw and the experience l had in the last one year in prison and in the hands of police keeps me wondering if the Nigerian Police is your friend.”
Delivering his keynote address on behalf of his Comptroller in charge of Adamawa prisons command,Deputy Comptroller of prisons,DCP Elson Bakari commended the effort of the jail Delivery Committee describing it as “First of its kind in the history of Jimeta Prisons”.
