Judge releases 27 inmates in Ebonyi

Nwankwo said this during a visit to the prison as part of his jail delivery programme that eight inmates were discharged, 16 granted bails with conditions while three inmates were granted bails on self-recognition. He noted that the exercise would be conducted frequently to alleviate the plight of awaiting trial inmates and decongest the prison. “I thank the prison authorities for providing the enabling environment for us to conduct the exercise and also all judges, magistrates, and members of the Nigerian Bar Association present,’’ Nwankwo said. Mr. Israel Alobo, the state Director of Public Prosecution, commended the state judiciary for conducting the exercise, noting that it would assist in prison decongestion. “We are totally amenable to this exercise as neither the DPP nor the police is to blame for the delay in ensuring speedy trial of awaiting trial inmates. “The delay is caused by non-submission of relevant case files to us on time, among other factors which I will not make public,” he said. He explained that the public erroneously feel that the DPP was inactive, adding that inmates’ case files submitted to the courts, are not to be publicised. “When the DPP submits 1, 500 out of 2,000 case files to the courts, for instance, it shows that it is proactive and working on the remaining case files. Mrs. Chigozie Nwele, a relative of one of the inmates released on bail thanked the CJ for conducting the exercise and pledged to meet the bail conditions given to her. NAN]]>