Rivers Chief Judge grants pardon to 21 inmates

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, has granted pardon to 21 inmates at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre as part of efforts to decongest the overcrowded facility.

Some of the released inmates had spent between six and 14 years in custody for capital offences without proper prosecution or accessible case files from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Speaking during the jail delivery exercise, Justice Chibuzor-Amadi clarified that the gesture was not to undermine other agencies but to support the cause of justice and uphold the rule of law.

He attributed the rising number of awaiting-trial inmates to lapses by the Nigerian Police and the DPP, stressing the need for improved collaboration among the correctional service, the Ministry of Justice, the police, and the judiciary.

The Chief Judge noted that the state judiciary conducts quarterly visits to correctional centres to review cases and aid decongestion efforts. He urged correctional officers to maintain professionalism and respect human dignity in their duties.

Encouraging the pardoned inmates to embrace reform, he urged them to become responsible members of society upon reintegration.

Meanwhile, Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Rivers State, Felix Madumere, lauded the Chief Judge’s intervention but expressed concern over the worsening congestion. He revealed that the Port Harcourt facility, originally built to accommodate 1,800 inmates, is currently housing over 2,500.