The Chief Judge of Kogi state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, has granted unconditional release to 16 inmates, while five others were granted bail at Okene and Koton-Karfe Correctional Service.
Justice Ajanah also ordered that a 14-year-old boy, Isiaka Buba, who was in custody be taken to a psychiatric hospital for allegedly killing people and cooked the flesh for consumption.
The chief judge on Thursday, Wednesday, and Tuesday at the Okene, Koto-Karfe and Kabba Correctional Service centres to observe the annual inmate decongestion exercise.
At the end of the exercise in Koton-Karfe that lasted for six hours, Justice Ajanah reviewed 125 cases and granted unconditional release to nine inmates who are detained without trial for upward of one year.
Abdulmumuni Musa, Ahmed Tijani, Abu Ali, Ochefeje Alhaji were arrested for alleged theft, but spent more than one year in custody without any witness to effect for their prosecution, while John Okonkwo and Lawal Gambo are released for lack of prima facie case against the two suspects.
Also released unconditionally are Ibrahim Daji and Battai Daji arrested for conspiracy and inflicting injury on their victim.
At Okene Correctional Service seven inmates regained their freedom unconditional, while two were granted bail in the sum of N5, 000 with a surety each.
In Kabba, the chief judge commended the security agencies as well as courts in the area for ensuring low crime rate and timely dispensation of justice.
The chief judge made the commendation against the backdrop of very low number of inmates at the correctional formation where only four awaiting trial inmates’ warrants were available for review.
Ajanah, who could not release of grant bail to any of the four awaiting trial inmates whose cases were at various levels of trial, said the correctional facility was being under-utilised
