Quick Summary:
Justice Ekaete Fabian-Obot releases 100 inmates on compassionate and legal grounds after facility inspection across four prisons.
The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Justice Ekaete Fabian-Obot, has released 100 inmates across the state’s four Medium Security Custodial Centres, marking the end of her first-quarter inspection tour.
The releases were distributed as follows: Ikot Abasi (2), Eket (8), Ikot Ekpene (27), and Uyo (63).
Justice Fabian-Obot reviewed over 1,000 case files, granting freedom to inmates on compassionate grounds, health conditions, missing case files, trumped-up charges, and lack of diligent prosecution.
Chief Judge Condemns Police, Urges Judicial Vigilance
In her remarks, the Chief Judge urged released inmates to maintain good conduct and avoid returning to crime.
She criticized police officers who obtain remand orders and abandon cases without returning to court after the stipulated 21 days, calling the practice unacceptable.
Justice Fabian-Obot also advised magistrates to strike out dormant cases and notify relevant parties when due process is not followed.
Health and Compassionate Releases
Among the special cases at the Uyo Custodial Centre were 20 inmates suffering from serious health conditions.
One inmate, Godwin Francis Etim, battling tuberculosis, was referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, for treatment.
A pregnant inmate in her final trimester, facing medical complications, was also released to access proper care.
Another notable case involved Magdalene Bassey Edet, convicted twice for the same offence by different courts. Having completed a 10-year sentence, she was serving an additional two-year term for the same matter.
The Chief Judge ordered her release on probation for the remaining two years, requiring her to report every three months, warning that any further offence would lead to her return to custody.
Wrongful Detentions and Missing Files
Four inmates were released due to missing case files, reportedly linked to the illness of a prosecutor absent for nearly three years.
Six others were found to have been wrongfully charged, including Idara Christopher Kingsley, who was detained in place of her husband after reporting a machete assault.
Overcrowding and Facility Damage
In his welcome address, DCC Ezekiel Ebenezer Inyang, Officer in Charge of the Uyo Custodial Centre, described the visit as timely, noting that the facility, built in 1912, now houses over 1,600 inmates and is severely overstretched.
He also reported that a windstorm on February 17 damaged three cell blocks and brought down part of the perimeter fence, worsening the facility’s condition.
