Benin City, May 28 — In a bid to decongest correctional centres and uphold justice, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, on Wednesday ordered the release of two inmates who had been unlawfully detained beyond the legal time limits prescribed by the criminal law.
The released inmates, Shaibu Adams and Musa Ibrahim, regained their freedom during a jail delivery exercise at the Medium Security Custodial Centres (Old and New) in Benin City. The exercise was led by Justice Okungbowa in the company of members of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee.
EBS correspondent Clement Oserah reports that the intervention was carried out under the authority of Section 11 of the Prisons Act (Cap P29) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act. These laws empower the Chief Justice of Nigeria and State Chief Judges, acting as ex officio prison visitors, to order the release of individuals whose continued detention is either unlawful or exceeds the maximum sentence for the alleged offence.
Justice Okungbowa said the visit aligns with the statutory responsibilities of the committee as outlined in Section 470 (2) of the Edo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018.
Out of 1,884 inmates across the two facilities, Adams and Ibrahim were identified as having been unjustly held. Adams had been in custody since 2023 on charges of theft and had appeared in court only once. Ibrahim was detained for trespassing on farmland to graze his cattle — an offence for which he had already spent more time in custody than the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Justice Okungbowa emphasized the urgent need for relevant authorities to file and expedite pending cases to reduce overcrowding in custodial centres.
Reacting to the visit, the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Edo State Command, Mr. Sunday Oyakhire, said the exercise was a welcome development, fulfilling the expectations of inmates who have long awaited justice.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Committee comprises the Chief Judge, the Attorney General, judges, representatives of the police, Ministry of Justice, the Controller of Prisons, and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
