Bauchi Justice C’ttee Frees 26 Awaiting Trial Inmates

The Administration of Justice Committee in Bauchi State has freed 26 awaiting trial inmates from the Bauchi Custodial Centre, who have spent years, ranging from 4 to 11, without trial, mostly attributable to lack of proper records of their individual offences.

The State Chief Judge Justice Rabi Talatu Umar who chairs the committee ordered for the release of the inmates after thoroughly reviewing their cases, most of whom lacked proper records of trial either from the prosecution or the courts, while some despite long stay at the custodial centre, are physically not healthy to warrant their continued stay in cells.

Releasing the inmates at the committee’s routine quarterly cases review exercise yesterday at the Custodial Centre, Bauchi, the State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, wondered how inmates are being kept languishing at the centre without proper documented records of trial.

“Many of those set free lack proper documented records of trial either from the prosecution or court as attested to during the cases review exercise. Some have even long-stayed at the correctional centre, ranging between 4, 5, and 11 years without trial or are only once prosecuted before a Court of Justice”, the Chief Judge lamented.

A member of the cases review committee, Chief Magistrate Safiya Musa, speaking shortly after the inmates release at the Custodial Centre, warned them to henceforth be of exemplary conduct in the larger society, and not to commit any chargeable offence that could stage for a comeback to the correctional center.

Chief Magistrate Safiya Musa explained that some of the ATM were unconditionally released because records of their trials were not traceable either with the prosecution or the Courts hence their continued languishing in cells is a denial to freedom.

She also stated, “If there isn’t any record on ground for the trial of an inmate, why did they continue keeping such a person in a cell. Some of you might have committed an offence, whereas the system runs faulty or improbable, thus opening him freedom gate”.

The Magistrate added, “You have now seen it all how life or livelihood is, especially with your long stay here, it is therefore advisable to find an unadulterated means of livelihood as you swing back into the larger society.

“Should you have little or shakable heart to contain the misery or ups and downs of life or livelihood, or it could be easy for anyone of you here to stage a comeback to the correctional centre, for the law and order is widely stretched to catch any culprit in the society.”,

Safiya then enjoined the freed inmates to seek any lawful means of livelihood to fend for a living, and become a useful member of the society, as well as shun any act capable of lowering one’s right thinking member of the society.