The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Hon. Justice I. U. Bello in accord  with the exercise of the powers conferred on him under the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act visited the Suleja and Kuje Prisons on the 13^th and 17^th days of September, 2016 respectively.

This routine exercise was to review cases of inmates with a view to taking appropriate actions which may include the release of awaiting trial inmates who have stayed more than the time prescribed for the offence with which they were charged. However, cases may also be considered on medical and humanitarian grounds as well as any other ground deemed justified by the Hon. Chief Judge.

In this year’s visit which saw the release of six (6) inmates from the Suleja prison and three (3) from the Kuje Prison, the Hon. Chief Judge took time to inspect the prison facilities.

The Hon. Chief Judge while releasing the affected inmates frowned at the judicial lapses that contribute to the congestion of Nigerian prisons in general and the FCT environs in particular.

In his remarks, he (the CJ) condemned the attitude of giving stringent bail conditions for even minor offences that keep defendants in prison custody because of inability to perfect their bail conditions. He directed that any reasonable and respectable Nigerian can take any defendant on bail without being a serving civil servant. He cautioned the idea of granting bail in one hand and indirectly refusing it.

Secondly, the Hon. Chief Judge decried the practice of detaining a defendant on non-payment of compensation. In his respected view, compensation (after sentence have been served), should be enforced by the complainant as any other judgment sum by attachment of the property of the defendant to meet his obligations

In furtherance of his determination to aid the plights of the inmates as regards delays in their trials, the Hon. Chief Judge immediately promised to set up panels to urgently dispense with the criminal cases pending in the FCT High Court Jurisdiction (either in the High Court or Magistrate Court). This move is to enhance the speedy conclusion of cases awaiting trials. The panel will have the end of the second quarter of 2017 to conclude its assignment.

Appreciating the visit of the Chief Judge and his entourage and thanking the government for the inmates’ welfare, the Prison administration prayed for an improved logistics hinting that the non-attendance of defendants to courts for their trials in some occasions were because of the pressures beyond the prison facilities. However, they promised to do their best.