By Agbaragu Timothy
Delta state Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Tessy Diai has assured that she would synergies with the executive in a bid to address the perennial challenges faced by prison authority in producing inmates to courts.
Justice Diai gave the assurance while rounding off the second quarter of 2023 jail delivery exercise at the Sapele Custodial Centre in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
The C J who commended the authority for their effort and commitment at ensuring that inmates were taken to courts for trial despite logistic challenges, promised to bring the difficult situation to the attention of the new governor at the conclusion of the prison tour across the state.
Wondering how those in charge of the centres still manage to reproduce inmates to courts at this difficult times occasioned by geometric rise in petroleum motor spirit ( fuel ) the C J asserted, ” So as usual I will send a memo to His Excellency highlighting these problems, and I hope he will respond favourably.”
In a welcome address the deputy controller of the Sapele custodial centre, Mr. Malvin Egbe said that the centre with present capacity of 350 has lock up of 141 and 83 convicted inmates.
While thanking the Chief Judge for her effort that resulted in judges and magistrates to giving priority to custody cases, and allowing judges outside Sapele to conduct matters in the centre, Mr. Egbe solicited her support to bring their challenges to the governor for assistance.
Breaking down the activity at the end of the 2023 second quarter visits at Sapele Custodial Centre , the Chief Judge stated that a total of 1587 ( one thousand five hundred and eighty seven ) warrants of inmates were reviewed at the five correctional centres across the state
According to her, at Kwale 298 warrants were reviewed with four released and four granted bail; 539 in Warri, four released and one granted bail. While at Agbor, Sapele and Ogwashi-Uku custodial centres 207, 180 and 368 warrants were reviewed, respectively.
