Onitsha Prison: Five Inmates Freed 14 Others Get Bail

The Chief Judge of Anambra, Justice Paul Obidigwe, has discharged five inmates and granted bail to 14 other inmates of Onitsha Prison.

Among the five inmates discharged was a suspected mental ill inmate, who was referred to a psychiatric hospital under the care of the state government.

Obidigwe told newsmen in Onitsha in Anambra on Monday after the session of the jail delivery that he would make the jail delivery a quarterly affair.

“I am impressed by the neatness, sense of duty of officers here and the progress of the Skills Acquisition Centre of this prison.

“I call on lawyers and the legal aids workers to visit the prisons always, look at the case files of some of these innocent inmates and facilitate their cases at the regular courts, which I know judges and magistrates are always willing to listen to,’’ he said.

The chief judge also called on philanthropists and businessmen to come and assist Onitsha Prison in order to facilitate the reformation of its inmates.

“I will also look into your request of providing a vehicles each for Onitsha and Awka Prisons as well as the need to hear inmates cases on time each day at the various courts,’’ Obidigwe said.

Earlier, Mr Anthony Ubaike, the Deputy Controller of Prisons in-charge of Onitsha Prison, said that the state prisons command was able to keep the prisons neat and refurbished them through the help of philanthropists and some faith-based organisations.

Ubaike said that he prayed that the jail delivery would be often; adding “the capacity of the Onitsha prison has been over-stretched; it was originally meant for 326 inmates, but now we have 847 inmates.’’

“Only 41 inmates have been convicted; while the rest are awaiting trial detainees,’’ he said.

One of the discharged suspects, Joseph Obodoeze, said he was so happy that the truth finally came out.

“I thank God for using the chief judge to set me free; the way the case was going around I do not know what to do. I am very happy, thank God with me,’’ Obodoeze said.