Anambra Chief Judge Grants Bail to Seven Prisoners, Discharges One

Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

The Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu has granted bail to seven and discharged one inmate of the Nnewi Correctional Centre.

The bail grant is in continuation of the jail delivery tour across Anambra State embarked on by the Chief Judge to decongest holding centres in the state.

Judicial pardon or granting of bail to inmates has become an annual judicial schedule in Anambra State.

In granting the bails, particular interest is given to the aged inmates from sixty years and above, those who are severely sick, juvenile inmates, women, and those who have been in the prison for a long time, especially without trial.

The released inmates were fifty-year-old Chukwuzuberu Onunkwo from Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area, who has been in for seven years, twenty-nine-year-old Chikwado Ikwueze from Ihembosi in Ihiala Local Government Area, granted bail on medical ground, Ndidi Ehirikwe also from Amichi and granted bail on compassionate grounds and Okwudili Mbanusi from Ukpor, Nnewi South, granted bail for having spent a long time in prison, while Simon Anyakansi from Uli, was also granted bail.

While Sunday Ezenyi from Ebonyi State, Chimezie Okeke from Ihiala, and Friday Nwanchukwu from Umueze-Anam were also granted bail, the case against twenty-four-year-old Solomon Nwadukwu from Uli in Ihiala Local Government Area was struck out and the inmate discharged.

Speaking to the press, Justice Anyachebelu expressed satisfaction with the process which has recorded the release of a total of fifteen inmates across three correctional facilities in Anambra State, adding that the Anambra State judiciary would remain firm in stamping equity in the judicial procedures of the state.

He noted that the jail delivery was important as many inmates have either been held for a long time without being taken to court, while others might have spent longer periods for trivial offences.

In his assessment of the jail delivery tour, the Comptroller of Corrections in Anambra State, Barrister Emmanuel Nwakeze, said that apart from decongesting the holding centres, the process also gives fair hearing to inmates who are trapped in prisons for minor offences.

Judges, members of the Nigerian Correctional Service, legal practitioners, representatives from the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, court registrars, among others witnessed the session.

The Chief Judge shall wrap up the jail delivery tour at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Awka on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

 

This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *