The Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasiru Ajanah has released a total of thirty-five inmates awaiting trial in three correctional centres Kogi State.
The correctional centres include Koton-Karfe, Kabba and Okene Nigeria Correctional Service Centers saying the exercise was in line with federal government directive to decongest correctional centres to avoid spread of COVID-19.
The Chief Judge who was in Kabba/Koton-Karfi and Okene correctional centres on Monday said the exercise became necessary to see how the country can put an end to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
According to Justice Ajanah, the exercise was different from the normal prison exercise which he normally embarked on every year to decongest the correctional centres.
He stressed that the reason for this particular one was as a result of a directive from the federal government to decongest correctional centres in the state to avoid the spread of COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the whole world Nigeria inclusive.
He noted that the committee looked into some cases with minor offences or some inmates that may be sick and such sickness can be contagious to other inmates.
Justice Ajanah also pointed out that some inmate who had stayed long in the prison without trial form minor offences were also released from the correctional service.
However in Kabba correctional centres house inmates from Koton-Karfi correctional centre as a result of the flood that ravaged Koton-Karfi correctional centre last year.
In Kabba correctional centre, four inmates gained freedom, Koton-Karfi correctional centre eleven inmates also gained freedom while twenty gained freedom in Okene correctional centre making a total of thirty-five inmates that were released by the Justice Ajanah.
He also handed over the money to all the thirty-five inmates that gained freedom as their transport back to their various places saying the money was from the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The Chief Judge also donated hand sanitizer, face and nose mask, bucket and other valuable things to the three centres.
He warned those released to go home and embark on meaningful things and avoid anything negative that will put them in risk or danger.
In his remark, the Kogi State Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Service Center, Mr Ohiakosim M.C commended the federal government and the state government for their initiative.
He noted that since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic they took some measures in all the correctional centres in the state to avoid the spread on the virus among the inmates.
