The Anambra State Judiciary has ordered the unconditional release of 24 inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Onitsha, after discovering that they had remained in detention despite their criminal cases having already been struck out by the courts.
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The discovery was made during an annual jail delivery exercise at the custodial facility, during which 36 cases were reviewed to identify awaiting-trial inmates who might have been subjected to prolonged or unnecessary detention.
The exercise was presided over by the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, who was represented by the Administrative Judge of the Onitsha Judicial Division, Justice Jude Nweze.
Following the review, 24 inmates were discharged and granted unconditional freedom, while three others were admitted to bail and are expected to regain their freedom upon fulfilling the conditions attached to their release.
The remaining nine inmates were ordered to remain in custody pending the continuation of their respective criminal proceedings.
Speaking during the exercise, Justice Anyachebelu disclosed that the 24 inmates had remained in detention because the Nigerian Correctional Service was unaware that the courts handling their cases had already struck them out.
He explained that the situation was uncovered during a physical inspection of the custodial centre, highlighting a breakdown in communication between the courts and correctional authorities.
The Chief Judge expressed concern over the continued detention of individuals whose cases had already been struck out, stressing the importance of regular jail delivery exercises in identifying and addressing such situations.
He noted that the exercise was necessary to ensure that persons who no longer had pending criminal proceedings were not unnecessarily kept in custody.
Justice Anyachebelu consequently urged magistrates across the state to regularly monitor criminal matters pending before their courts and ensure that appropriate administrative steps were taken to facilitate the appearance of defendants.
He particularly emphasised the need for production warrants to be properly prepared and signed to enable correctional authorities to produce defendants in court whenever required.
According to the Chief Judge, effective communication and coordination between the judiciary and the Nigerian Correctional Service are essential to preventing situations in which individuals remain behind bars despite the conclusion or termination of proceedings against them.
He stressed that regular monitoring of criminal cases and proper communication of court decisions would help prevent avoidable detention and improve the administration of criminal justice.
Also speaking during the exercise, the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Anambra State Command, Ezinne Onuoha, welcomed the intervention, describing it as an important measure towards reducing congestion at the facility.
Onuoha disclosed that the Onitsha custodial centre, originally designed to accommodate 600 inmates, was currently housing more than 739 inmates.
The figure indicates that the facility is accommodating at least 139 inmates above its original capacity, placing considerable pressure on its available space and resources.
She noted that the release of inmates who were no longer required to remain in custody would contribute to efforts aimed at addressing overcrowding in the correctional facility.
The jail delivery exercise also highlighted the importance of judicial oversight in protecting the rights of persons held in correctional centres, particularly awaiting-trial inmates whose cases may have been delayed, discontinued or struck out without the relevant information reaching custodial authorities.
For the 24 affected inmates, the intervention brought an end to their continued detention after the courts had already struck out the cases against them.
Meanwhile, the three inmates granted bail will remain subject to the conditions imposed by the court before their release, while the nine others will continue to face the proceedings pending against them.
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