19 inmates have been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre by the Presidential Committee on Correctional Services Reform and Decongestion.
According to Justice Ishaq Bello, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, heading the committee, the freedom granted the inmates was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration resolve to decongest custodial centers across the federation.
He said: “Today’s visit to Kuje Correctional Service is in furtherance of the Federal Government’s efforts to decongest detention centres across the country.
“This becomes more imperative with the coming into force of the new Nigerian Correctional Service Act.
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“This exercise is purely borne out of the desire of criminal justice stakeholders to find ways of decongesting detention facilities across the country by inquiring into cases of inmates with a view to letting go those who have no reasons to stay in such facilities.”
The CJ added: “It is a world of interdependence; all stakeholders must depend on each other for smooth adjudications. Anyone who fails to execute his or her mandate, it rubs off on other stakeholders negatively.
“Consequently, I urge us all to take our duties seriously for this is a national assignment that must succeed.”
He explained further that a permanent database would be created to document details of the released inmates with their photographs.
