Nasarawa CJ assigns Counsels to indigent inmates

Inmates

By Sunday John

Lafia, March 11, 2020 (NAN) Justice Suleiman Dikko, Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, has assigned Counsels to indigent inmates awaiting trials in Wamba Custodial Centre.

The chief judge took the action on Wednesday at the  Medium Security Custodial Centre, Wamba Local Government Area during the tour to review  cases of inmates that were wrongly detained.

Dikko explained that the action was aimed at decongesting the facility and ensuring justice for inmates detained  wrongfully.

He assigned counsels from the office of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to indigents inmates to enable them get justice.

The CJ also expressed surprise that some inmates have been kept at the facility for a long time without  being taken to court.

“I am surprised that there are awaiting trial inmates who have been in detention for more than four years without a counsel.

“We have assigned dates to all of them and will put machinery in motion to ensure that henceforth, every inmate is taken to court on the day his matter is scheduled,” Dikko said.

He discharged two inmates and advised them to be of good conduct and desist from actions that could bring them back to custodial centre.

Earlier, Emmanuel Okoro, the State Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service, expressed gratitude to the CJ and his team for the visit.

He also advised inmates who were not lucky to be discharged, not to loss hope as the exercise was a continuous one as they may be lucky next time.

The CJ was accompanied on the visit by judges, Legal Aids Council of Nigeria, National Human Rights Commission, Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service, among others. (NAN)

SDJ/OIF/IU

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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo and Isaac Ukpoju