The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi on Thursday granted pardon to 53 inmates incaserated at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.
The pardon was part of a week-long programme put in place by the state Judiciary to herald the 2023/2024 Legal Year in the state, as well as decongestion of the Port Harcourt Correctional facility.
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It was learnt that some of the inmates granted pardon were those who had been in the Correctional Centre between five to nine years on pre-trial detention, while others had nothing filed against them by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
Justice Amadi, said the exercise was in compliance with the provisions section 34(1) of the Criminal Justice Law of Rivers state and Special provisions Act of the Law of the Federation, which empowers the Chief judge to release certain inmates incarcerated without a cause.
Amadi who emphasised that the pardon would ensure effective justice delivery as well as the decongestion of the correctional centers, called for effective synergy among stakeholders in the Criminal Administration System, stressing that the Judiciary, Correctional Services, law enforcement agencies, legal organisations and community leaders must synergise for justice to prevail in the society.
The Chief Judge noted that a stakeholders’ meeting was held prior to the “goal delivery exercise” so as to scrutinise the inmates list submitted by the correction centre and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to ascertain worthy inmates.
Amadi, who used the opportunity to advice the Police to always investigate suspect properly before charging them to court.
He said, “Somebody will steal but the Police will charge them for armed robbery instead of stealing. Sometimes when people recover their stolen property, they are not ready to continue the matter in court”.
The Chief Judge adnonished the pardoned inmates to be of good behavior in the society and turn a new leaf, stressing that they may not be lucky next time if they engaged in crime and were caught and brought back to the Correctional Centre.
“I came here for an exercise just to make you better citizens no one want you to die, you have learnt something here, please I beg you all to leave evil and cultism as you go back to the society let the change be seen in you.
“Don’t go back to eating your vomit, go home and find something to do, farm, fish and learn hand work. Think for yourself, if you are struggling, people will help you when they see ingenuity in you.
“When you go back home, remember the experience you have here, confined in one place and change because you may not have a second chance”.
Earlier in his speech, the Comptroller of the State Correction Service, Mr Felix Lawrence, in his remarks commended the Criminal Justice System Administration, for its effective services in the decongestion of the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.
Lawrence, disclosed that he met over 4,000 inmates when he took over in June, 2022, stressing that the number has dropped to below 1000, due to the consistent goal delivery exercise by the Chief Judge.
