The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has released 21 inmates from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, including Gospel Nwibari, who had been held without trial for 18 years.
The release was part of the state’s jail delivery exercise, aimed at decongesting correctional facilities and addressing prolonged pre-trial detentions. Justice Amadi said some inmates had no case files and could not be tried, describing their continued detention as unjust.
Nwibari, arrested in 2007 at age 14, was discovered through the efforts of Haven360 Foundation. His brother, Paul Kinani, said the family had believed him dead until recently. The foundation’s president, Barrister Cyrus Onu, said Nwibari showed signs of mental illness and would receive rehabilitation support.
Controller of Corrections, Felix Madumere, raised concerns over overcrowding, noting the facility holds over 2,500 inmates despite a 1,800-inmate capacity. He called for urgent government intervention.
The exercise was witnessed by officials from the judiciary, correctional service, FIDA, and rights groups.
