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GOMBE, Nigeria - The Chief Judge of Gombe State, Halima Mohammed, has approved the release of 85 inmates from various correctional facilities in the state and Billiri as part of an initiative to alleviate overcrowding and ensure inmate welfare.
This initiative resulted in the unconditional release of 42 inmates, while 38 others were released from the Gombe Medium Custodial Centre under specific conditions. In the Billiri facility, three inmates were released without conditions, and two others were granted conditional release.
Between Tuesday and Friday of the previous week, the state's Criminal Justice and Inquiry Committee, chaired by Justice Mohammed, conducted inspections at four correctional facilities located in Gombe, Billiri, Cham, and Tula.
During these visits, Justice Mohammed stressed the importance of identifying inmates eligible for bail or immediate release to help ease overcrowding in accordance with justice reforms.
She encouraged those released to reintegrate positively into their communities and contribute constructively.
To those still incarcerated, Justice Mohammed advised them to stay hopeful and serve their sentences faithfully, emphasizing that only the state governor has the constitutional authority to grant pardons to convicted inmates.
In a related note, Salihu Abdullahi, the Controller of Corrections for Gombe State, stated that the Gombe Medium Security Custodial Centre, which was built in 1919 to accommodate 379 inmates, currently houses 1,076 individuals. Of these, 628 are awaiting trial, 344 are serving sentences, and 101 are on death row.
Abdullahi pointed out the critical overcrowding situation, which breaches the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 empowers chief judges to inspect correctional and detention facilities within their jurisdiction to protect inmates' rights.
