The Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Abdu Aboki, has reviewed the cases of 82 awaiting-trial persons and ordered the immediate release of seven inmates on medical grounds.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Kano State Command, Musbahu Nassarawa, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
According to the statement, the exercise was conducted at the Kurmawa and Goron Dutse Custodial Centres as part of efforts to promote the speedy dispensation of justice and ensure the protection of the rights of persons in custody.
“The Honourable Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Abdu Aboki has reviewed the cases of 82 Awaiting Trial Persons during a jail delivery exercise conducted at custodial centres in Kano State.
“The exercise is part of efforts to promote speedy dispensation of justice and ensure the protection of the rights of persons in custody,” the statement said.
It said the Chief Judge reviewed the cases of inmates who had spent several years in custody without formal charges.
“During the exercise, the Chief Judge ordered the immediate release of 7 inmates on medical grounds, following due consideration of their health conditions and other circumstances surrounding their continued detention,” the statement further said.
It added that the exercise underscored the commitment of the Kano State Judiciary to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding human rights and ensuring that persons in custody were not detained beyond what was permitted by law.
In her address to the inmates, the Chief Judge emphasised the importance of justice being administered fairly and without unnecessary delay.
In his remarks, the Controller of Corrections, Kano State Command, Ahmed Lakpene, urged the released inmates to regard their freedom as an opportunity to turn a new page in their lives, remain law-abiding and refrain from acts that could bring them into conflict with the law.
Lakpene also commended the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, for providing an enabling environment for the humane treatment of inmates in custodial centres.
He further noted that jail delivery exercises formed part of ongoing efforts to decongest custodial centres and ensure that justice was accessible to all inmates.
The Chief Judge was accompanied by the Chief Registrar of the High Court, the Director of Public Prosecutions, representatives of the Commissioner of Police, Legal Aid counsel and other critical stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice.
The Nigerian Correctional Service, Kano State Command, reaffirmed its commitment to working with the judiciary and other justice sector partners to promote timely trials, decongest custodial centres and uphold the rights of persons in custody.
