By Valerie Oyibo-Itie
The Chief Judge of Delta State, Hon. Justice Marshal Umukoro, has released 81 inmates at Sapele custodian centre that were awaiting trials.
Justice Umukoro, in a move to decongest custodian centres in Delta state, paid a working visit to Sapele Custodian centre today, released 81 inmates that were awaiting trial after listening to lawyers representing all the affected inmates.
In a welcome address, the Deputy Controller of Sapele custodian centre, Nwanze Eugene Amechi, said Sapele custodian centre has a capacity of 293 inmates of which 220 of them are awaiting trial and this number makes up 83.7% of the inmate population while over 50% of the same awaiting trials population are holden charges, who have stayed longer than necessary before trials or without trial.
Nwanze expressed joy that the release of this number of inmates was taking place under his watch having resumed duty at the custodial centre on the 5th of June, 2020.
The controller, Delta state Correctional Centre, Mr. F.E. Ovie, while speaking with newsmen said the development was a relief to both officers of the custodial centres and the released inmates.
Mr Ovie, said that he had advised the released inmates not to do anything that would bring them back to the correctional centre, rather they should engage in things that would better the society, adding that it was the first time the centre was having huge number of inmates benefiting from such releases
