WORRIED by the congestion in Owerri and Okigwe prisons, the Chief Judge of Imo State, Benjamin Njemanze, at the weekend appealed to the Federal Government to build more prisons in the state to check the ugly trend.
He made the call while conducting a goal delivery session at Okigwe Prison where he freed six out of seven inmates who had been awaiting trial for periods ranging from three to 13 years.
He regretted that in Owerri Prisons, about 1,600 inmates were scrambling for space meant for 500 prisoners while in Okigwe Prisons, the same over-crowding persisted, a situation he described as unfair. He was particularly worried that both convicted inmates and remanded/awaiting trial persons share the same building space, urging that there should be distinction between them.
While thanking all the stakeholders, he said: “It is not proper for people who are awaiting trial to be put together with those convicted and those reprimanded. The Federal Government should see reason with what we are asking for, they should make more efforts to build more prisons in Imo. There is land already provided in Orlu and Owerri”.
The CJ also granted bail to five inmates who had been awaiting trial for the fact that their case files were nowhere to be found.
The inmates include: Chinedu Offor, Chinedu Njoku, Ohia Mishak, Chiaka Ekenuzuo and Chinedu Abasirim.
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CJ wants more prisons in Imo, frees inmates