Adamawa committee releases 119 inmates to decongest prisons

A committee set up to decongest prisons in Adamawa State has released 119 convicts from a correctional center in Yola.

On Tuesday evening, Jan. 25, the Adamawa State Jail Delivery Committee completed the process of releasing the 119 convicts.The committee also found 49 detainees awaiting trial guilty and granted bail to 31 others who were detained in prison.Only 19 of the 410 inmates awaiting trial at the Jimeta Correctional Centre were convicted for various offenses, according to the committee, which was led by state Chief Judge Justice Nathan Musa.

The committee chairman said: “This necessitated the exercise because there was a serious gap between those awaiting trials and those convicted. “The exercise was also meant to fast track court proceedings and reform the judiciary system in the state.

” Addressing the inmates shortly after the 2-day exercise, Nathan Musa told them that those who were convicted summarily admitted committing the offence “and we felt there is no need to keep them waiting for further trial.

” He added that the committee convicted them according to the provisions of the law to fast track justice.

He disclosed that his committee took two days to attend to 410 cases, and that they had painstakingly taken their time to peruse their case files and to listen patiently to them before arriving at their decisions.

He explained further: “The committee was set up by the Minister of Internal affairs to see that we periodically visit prisons to decongest especially awaiting trial.”