Anambra State Chief Judge, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu has discharged five inmates and granted bail to five others at the Amawbia Correctional Centre, to mark the end of this year’s jail delivery exercise.
Cases for which they were detained included murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, burglary, stealing among others.
The inmates discharged include Messers Chinedu Nnalue from Urum in Awka North Local Government Area, Ifeanyi Ifekwulugo, Obinna Nwafor, Sunday Matthew and Michael Obiejesi.
While those granted bail were Sunday Nwoye from Ebonyi State, Echezona Ugwueze, Uchenna Mgbike from Agulu, Arinze Kenneth and Chukwuemeka Ozogbo.
Delivering judgement after taking submissions from officials of the state Department for Public Prosecution, Anambra State Ministry of Justice, and a social welfare officer at the facility, Justice Anyachebelu charged judicial officials to be more proactive and responsive in the discharge of their duties, so that no innocent person would be incarcerated as a result of official negligence.
Justice Anyachebelu who disclosed that his visit was a routine exercise, said it is one of the responsibilities of any chief judge of a state to visit correctional centres once in a year and assured the determination of the state to lessen the plights of inmates awaiting trials at various holding facilities.
The Chief Judge assured that the state’s judiciary will administratively ensure that the correctional centres are decongested by reducing the terms of inmates through speedy trials and cautioned those freed to be of good behavior henceforth.
On his part, the Deputy Comptroller of Corrections in the facility, Mr Echezona Okonkwo, represented by the Assistant Comptroller, Mr Alphonsus Nwana, commended the exercise and said that inmates in the facility are being trained in various skills, urging those who have regained freedom to mend their ways and be useful to the society.
The Chief Judge during the court proceedings, treated over forty cases while those whose cases have appeared before a law court and were adjourned to a close date were asked to remain in custody as they would be tried in a regular court.
Justice Anyachebelu was accompanied by six judges.
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