The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, has ordered the release of fourteen inmates from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The release, which took place on Wednesday, was part of a jail delivery exercise marking the end of the 2024/2025 legal year and the beginning of the 2025/2026 legal year.
Justice Chibuzor-Amadi explained that the freed inmates were those who had spent extended periods in custody without trial, had missing case files, had been detained beyond the legal timeframe for their alleged offences, or whose cases merited reconsideration under the law.
He noted that the number of inmates awaiting trial at the correctional facility has continued to decline since he assumed office, reaffirming the judiciary’s resolve to decongest correctional centres across the state.
The Chief Judge urged the released inmates to turn a new leaf and become productive members of society.
According to reports, the latest exercise brings the total number of inmates freed during the 2024/2025 legal year to 150—comprising 41 released by the Chief Judge and 109 by magistrates.
