The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, has released 14 inmates from the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Centre as part of activities marking the opening of the 2026/2027 legal year.
The inmates were released during a jail delivery exercise conducted at the custodial centre on Tuesday.
The exercise targeted inmates who had spent periods in custody exceeding the terms prescribed by law if they had been convicted of the offences for which they were allegedly arrested, as well as those whose cases had been delayed through no fault of their own but due to government agencies or the judiciary.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Chibuzor-Amadi said the exercise was conducted pursuant to the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, with the aim of decongesting correctional facilities.
The Chief Judge also advised officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service to ensure that confidential information, particularly the list of inmates scheduled for release, was not disclosed to inmates ahead of the exercise.
He said such disclosures could create unnecessary tension and undermine the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Addressing the released inmates, Justice Chibuzor-Amadi urged them to return to society as ambassadors of peace and responsible living.
He warned them against engaging in criminal activities that could lead to their return to the correctional facility, stressing that they might not receive a similar opportunity for release in the future.
The Chief Judge also cautioned the beneficiaries against allowing themselves to be used by politicians to cause violence as the country enters another political season.
He warned that young people are often among the victims of politically motivated violence and urged the released inmates to shun acts that could endanger their lives or those of others.
The Controller of Corrections in Rivers State, Richard Moses-Williams, commended the state judiciary, led by Justice Chibuzor-Amadi, for the jail delivery exercise.
Moses-Williams said the importance of the exercise in reducing congestion in custodial facilities and promoting access to justice could not be overemphasised.
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