Ebonyi State Government Frees 34 Inmates From Abakaliki Correctional Centre

Ebonyi Chief Judge, Justice Anselem Nwigwe, on Wednesday in Abakaliki released 34 awaiting trial inmates at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre, in a COVID-19 special jail delivery.

The chief judge had on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29, released 20 inmates and 13 inmates at the Abakaliki and Afikpo Correctional Centres respectively.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that 67 awaiting trial inmates in Ebonyi have regained their freedom in the ongoing COVID-19 jail delivery exercise embarked upon by the chief judge.

The exercise according to the chief judge, is aimed at decongesting the correctional centre in the spirit of curbing and preventing the spread of the dreaded novel coronavirus pandemic.

He added that the exercise was in support of government’s efforts at tackling the pandemic and preventing it from further spread and escalating in the state.

The chief judge granted conditional bail to 31 inmates, while one person was released on personal recognition,while two were discharged.

Also, three juveniles, standing trial for offences ranging from conspiracy, stealing, burglary, cultism, attempted rape were granted bail.

Nwigwe reiterated that the jail delivery was done in the spirit of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and cautioned that those released on conditional bail were only expected to show affidavit of means.