Bauchi Chief Judge releases 14 awaiting trial inmates

Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, on Friday, expressed worry that some inmates at the Bauchi Custodial Centre lack proper records of their trial.

Umar also noted with concern that some of the awaiting trial inmates have not been presented to the courts for years, a situation that makes their records go out of hands.

Speaking on Friday while releasing 14 awaiting trial inmates at the custodial centre, he attributed their release to God’s intervention in their cases.

Justice Umar was undertaking routine periodic visits to correctional centres across the State to review the cases of awaiting trial inmates, especially those that have stayed long in those centres without trial.

During the visit, it was reported that the Chief Judge was at the Tafawa Balewa, Darazo, Misau, Azare, Bogoro, Ningi, Jama’are and Bauchi where she released five (5) inmates at Tafawa Balewa, two (2) each at Misau and Azare, while 14 regained freedom from the Bauchi centre.

None of the inmates at Jamare, Ningi, Darazo and Bogoro were able to regain freedom during the visit.

The Chief Judge, while commenting on some of the awaiting trial inmates whose litigation records were completely out of sight, remarked, “We don’t know who brought them here”.

He counseled the released awaiting trial inmates to find legitimate means of livelihood.