Awka Jail Delivery: 2 juveniles, 17 others granted bail, 1 discharged
JUVENILES: The State Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, FCIArb, has discharged and acquitted an inmate in Awka Prisons Mr Ikechukwu Anyim who has spent eight (8) years in Awka prison for stealing.
Ikechukwu was remanded by a Mobile court and since then his file case has not gone anywhere and neither the police nor the DPP has any file about him.
The Chief Judge was unhappy with such scenario where people would be remanded in prisons and nothing about them is found with the police and DPP for prosecution yet they rot away in detention facilities.
As well, Justice Umeadi granted bail to Seventeen (17) other Awka prisons inmates including two (2) juveniles, thus completing the first quarter of his 2019 Jail Delivery in Anambra state.
The two juveniles granted bail were Chinecherem Nwoye and Aron Onyebuchi while one female, brought from the Onitsha prisons, Ifeoma Arinze, 42 years old got a special bail conditions.
The case of the juveniles were an unpleasant one to everyone in the jail delivery hall as juveniles are not meant to be in prison. The DPP has no information on the Juveniles case. Police said too no information on the Juveniles matter.
The Chief Judge ordered that the Prisons ACP , Welfare Officer and others should trace Ifeoma’s home at Mgbakwu, Awka North council area of Anambra state and hand her over to any adult she recognizes in her place of domicile.
Some of the other inmates granted bail were Joseph Eze Ogbuawa, Chijioke Udoh, Adamu Bello, Sunday James. Tochukwu Okoye and Onyekachi Omengini.
Others were Chikanma Obasi, Ndubuisi Okafor, Polycarp Linus , Onyebuchi Okoye, Kenechukwu Nnatuanya , Afamefuna Awoloand Ebuka Agu on sick condition.
With the 20 inmates in Awka prison who regained their freedom, the Anambra state judge has granted bail to sixty-one (61) prisoners during his first quarter of the 2019 jail delivery.
Anambra CJ had granted bail to fifteen (15) inmates in Nnewi Prisons; thirteen (13) in Aguata Prisons and thirteen (13) in Onitsha prisons while Awka prisons now got twenty (20) inmates granted bail, making it Sixty-One (61) inmates freed by Justice Umeadi.
Concluding, Justice Umeadi appreciated those that contributed in making the first quarter jail delivery outings successful, including the legal practitioners, the Red Cross Society, the media, Police, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Prison officials.
Justice Umeadi commended the efforts of Governor Willie Obiano in improving the State Ministry of Justice, noting that the Ministry was nothing to write home about before the inception of the Obiano administration, even though more needed to be done by government at all levels for better prisons service.
The State number one Judicial officer, who lamented that the Awka Prisons built in 1904 has not had a new block added, made a case for a new prions to be built or the present one upgraded to meet the needs of jail delivery services, policing, security, and development of all other facets of the prions.
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Umeadi said: ‘’A lot of work needs to be done here to improve the facility of the prisons.
He said there was dearth of manpower in the state ministry of Justice which he raised earlier but not sure it has been addressed by the Obiano led administration and hoped that all aspects of the judiciary is worked on for better delivery of justice.
In an interview , the state Controller of Prisons, Mr Emmanuel Nwakeze encouraged families and relatives of the inmates that were granted bail to do the needful to ensure the quick release of the prisoners.
On her part, the Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR), Special Duties, Anambra State Judiciary, Your Worship AC Peters expressed delight on the successful outcome of the first quarter jail delivery exercise, and advised the freed inmates to be good citizens and turn a new leaf in order to make their freedom permanent.
