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Chief Judge of Gombe State, Halima Mohammed has ordered the release of 85 inmates from custodial centres in Gombe and Billiri as part of efforts to decongest the facilities.
Between Tuesday and Friday last week, the state’s Criminal Justice and Inquiry Committee, led by Justice Mohammed, visited custodial centres in Gombe, Billiri, Cham, and Tula.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), 42 inmates were released unconditionally and 38 conditionally from the Gombe Medium Security Custodial Centre.
At the Billiri centre, three were released unconditionally and two on conditional terms.
Speaking during the visit, the Chief Judge said the goal was to identify inmates eligible for release and to improve the welfare of inmates.
She urged convicted inmates to serve their terms with patience, noting that only the state governor holds the power to grant pardons.
Justice Mohammed encouraged the freed inmates to embrace reform and contribute positively to society.
Also speaking, Salihu Abdullahi, Controller of Corrections in Gombe State, revealed that the Gombe Medium Security Custodial Centre, built in 1919 to hold 379 inmates, currently houses 1,076.
“Out of this number, 628 are awaiting trial, 344 have been convicted, and 101 are on death row,” he said.
Abdullahi added that the overcrowding violates provisions of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 empowers chief judges to conduct oversight visits to correctional and detention facilities within their jurisdictions.
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