Chief Judge frees octogenarian, 85 other prison inmates

The Chief Judge of Enugu State, Raymond Ozoemena, has granted bail and ordered the discharge of 86 inmates from the Enugu Custodial Centre.

Among those discharged was an 86-year-old man (name withheld) from Okpanku in Aninri Local Government Area who was granted bail on health and humanitarian grounds.

Speaking during the flag-off of the 2025 Jail Delivery on Saturday in Enugu, Mr Ozoemena said that jail delivery was “a sacred judicial responsibility” aimed at upholding the rule of law.

The chief judge noted that the exercise was meant to protect the human rights of persons awaiting trial.

He noted that the exercise allowed the judiciary to review cases of inmates whose trials had been delayed or stalled, “ensuring that no one is unjustly deprived of liberty.

“This is a statutory duty imposed on the chief judge of every state to ensure that inmates at custodial centres are afforded the opportunity to have their cases reviewed where the wheel of justice has been slow.

“I consider this a sacred obligation to protect the constitutional rights of every citizen and to ensure that justice is both fair and timely,” he said.

The chief judge commended his predecessors for sustaining the tradition of jail delivery, adding that it remained an essential mechanism for maintaining public confidence in the justice system.

He appreciated the judges of the state, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Director of Public Prosecutions, and the management of Enugu Custodial Centre for their continued collaboration and commitment to justice delivery.

The chief judge thanked Governor Peter Mbah for his administration’s unwavering support of the judiciary, particularly the financial assistance provided to facilitate the 2025 Jail Delivery.

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He reaffirmed the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring that justice remained accessible, fair, and humane, especially for the underprivileged and vulnerable members of society.

Earlier, the Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Valins Obizue, commended the chief judge and the state government for their intervention through the jail delivery.

Mr Obizue described the exercise as a significant step towards decongesting custodial facilities and promoting the rehabilitation of inmates.

He appealed for the extension of the exercise to the Nsukka and Oji River Custodial Centres, where several inmates remained on the awaiting-trial list.

The event was attended by judges, senior officials of the state Ministry of Justice, representatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service, members of the Nigerian Bar Association and other judicial stakeholders.

(NAN)