Katsina CJ frees 300 Prisoners, promises judicial reforms

Katsina State Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, Tuesday in Katsina announced the release of a total number of about 300 prisoners from the State’s Prison Custody, following the visit to the various prison camps.

Justice Abubakar who made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with The Nation in his office, said the state has decided to take the lead in judicial reforms and prison decongestion

He said’ ’following a request letter from the Controller of Prisons in Katsina State, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Gusau, we agreed to conduct prison visits by May this year, in order to decongest prison and further enhance the speedy dispensation of justice to awaiting trial inmates’’

Recall that the Katsina Central Prisons was built to accommodate 237 inmates but it was discovered during the visits that it was accommodating 1190 inmates

Some of the cases attended to include 174 cases that were received out of which 91 were admitted on bail to a surety with an introduction letter from the District Head and supported by affidavit, while other cases were reviewed particularly that had spent 6 months and above and those awaiting trial for belonging to a gang of thieves

Also in the course of the review of cases, the CJ also released six inmates unconditionally, referred some cases to NYSC legal aid clinic to handle and granted bail to some inmates from the second list

Meanwhile the CJ has promised citizens of Katsina State to expect massive reforms to be carried out in the state Judiciary from October this year.

Some of the expected legal reforms expected to take off by October this year, include: the establishment of neighborhood watch on dispute resolution mechanism, embarking on prison reforms and decongestion by introducing ‘’Remand and sentencing Guidelines’’, promoting transparency in the investigation process by the police and the introduction digital tracking of the investigation process by the Police among others.