The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has granted pardon to 27 inmates of the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
Justice Amadi freed the inmates as part of his jail delivery exercise after he visited the facility located in the old Port Harcourt township.
He urged the freed inmates to steer clear of crime and ensure that they would not return to the centre.
Justice Amadi told the pardoned inmates, “When you go back, that thing that brought you here, please make a vow that you will never do any such act that will bring you to court.
“You have spent nine years. We do all these things to ensure that those who are innocent don’t die.
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“But there are those who did not commit any offence, like what the police are doing here. An offence is committed in a community; they go there on random and arrest this and that.
“That is what some of you faced. Go and pick up the pieces and go on. The nine years you have all spent here should not turn you into criminals.
Some of you, who committed minor offences, when you’re released, you graduate to another level. That should not be your portion in Jesus name.”
Justice Amadi ordered magistrates to stop remanding suspects in cases beyond their jurisdiction.
While commenting on increased cases of missing files of defendants, the CJ demanded collaboration between the police, the correctional service and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
“Whenever you are preparing your list to forward to me and to the DPP, I will like your list to be signed and dated. Whoever prepares the list should append his signature, put his name, rank and date,” he added.
