Ms. Obot said that such arrest or confinement constituted a breach of the affected person’s constitutional rights.
The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom, Ekaette Obot, has expressed concern that the police and Director of Public Prosecution in the state keep inmates in custodial centers without trial and some with no case for years.
The chief judge called on the police officers in charge of legal matters and the director of the public prosecution to ensure diligence in prosecution to avoid the destruction of the justice delivery system.
She warned the police against unnecessary arrest and confinement of innocent persons in custodial centers without thorough investigation and charging them to court.
Ms. Obot said that such arrest or confinement constituted a breach of the affected person’s constitutional rights.
On Friday, the chief judge released 45 inmates across the state after a three-day facility visit to the Correctional Centres in the state.
She visited; Ikot Abasi, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, and Uyo correctional centers.
Three inmates were pardoned from Ikot Abasi, nine were discharged and acquitted in Eket, 11 inmates were also freed from Ikot Ekpene and 22 inmates were released from Uyo correctional centers respectively.
The chief judge said that some of the freed inmates had spent more years in the correctional centers than the penalty for the offense they were charged with.
She told reporters in Uyo that some of the inmates had been in the facilities for between four and five years without being charged in court.
Meanwhile, Ms. Obot has called for the relocation of the Eket Correctional Centre to decongest the facility for better management of inmates.
The chief judge said that the Ikot Abasi facility was good enough in the state while she adjudged the Eket facility as the worst with a capacity of 123 but currently having 300 inmates.
As I said at the beginning, Ikot Abasi was okay, and the capacity was not fully utilized. So, it was more organized than every other facility apart from Ikot Ekpene. Ikot Ekpene is the best facility we have in the state.
Eket is the worst of all, it is limited in space and the number is overwhelming and they are not able to cater to the inmates there.
I have suggested that the Custodial Centre’s authority in Abuja should negotiate with the Governor of the state and even the community for a good space to relocate that facility for better management of the inmates,” she said.
(CDA NEWS)
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