Justice Halima Mohammed, chief judge of Gombe state, presided over the state’s Criminal Justice and Inquiry Committee, which recently granted permission for the release of 185 prisoners held at various correctional facilities around the state.
In order to reduce jail overcrowding and protect the wellbeing of the prisoners, this decision was made.
Justice Mohammed visited the Billiri Correctional Centre and praised the committee’s hard work in releasing only eligible prisoners.
Additionally, she praised the committee members for their steadfast support and dedication in carrying out this program well.
There was a wide variety of cases represented among the released detainees from the Gombe Correctional Centre: 75 were given bail, 61 were released unconditionally, and 10 were liberated for outstanding behavior.
Also at the Billiri Correctional Centre, six offenders were granted bail, twenty-six were freed without conditions, and seven were released due to their excellent conduct while inside.
All of the state’s magistrates, Justice Mohammed said, should carefully consider each case before rendering a verdict, and he highlighted the need of maintaining justice.
According to some sources, the federal government had already designated all 256 of its correctional facilities as “red zones” whose sacredness must not be infringed with in any way before the statewide hunger strike began.
According to Naija News, the warning was issued last Tuesday in a statement posted in Abuja by Hailey Nababa, who is the Controller General of Corrections.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the public that the Custodial Centres have been designated as red zones. Any person or group of persons who have no business whatsoever should steer clear,” Nababa said in a statement released through the service spokesman, Abubakar Danlami Umar. The statement was made in light of the purported national protest scheduled to take place on August 1, 2024.
Additionally, the Service would like to remind the public that both custodial and non-custodial centers are vital national assets that contribute to both public safety and national security.
If you assault or tamper with them, law and order will collapse, and society’s security will be far worse.
The Security Service has issued a public service announcement urging the general public to work with them to secure correctional facilities. In order to prevent the desecration of any penal facility, sufficient security measures have been implemented.
Extra security has been implemented in and around custodial facilities nationwide by activating the Ministry of Interior Joint Taskforce (MOIJTF).
Haliru Nababa FICMC, MFR, mni, Controller General of Corrections, expresses gratitude for the public’s ongoing support in maintaining order within and surrounding correctional facilities across the country. Public members are also asked to report any suspicious activity to the following email addresses: info@corrections.gov.ng, www.corrections.gov.ng, or by calling 09060004598 or 08075050006.