The Chief Judge of Gombe State, Halima Mohammed has authorized the release of 85 inmates from correctional facilities in the state and Billiri as part of efforts to address overcrowding and uphold inmate welfare.
The prison decongestion effort led to the release of 42 inmates without conditions, while 38 others were freed under certain conditions from the Gombe Medium Custodial Centre.
Meanwhile, at the Billiri facility, three inmates were released unconditionally, and two others under specific conditions.
Between Tuesday and Friday last week, the state’s Criminal Justice and Inquiry Committee, chaired by Justice Mohammed, visited four correctional facilities in Gombe, Billiri, Cham, and Tula.
During the visits, Justice Mohammed emphasized that the primary goal was to identify inmates eligible for bail or immediate release, aiming to reduce overcrowding in line with justice reforms.
She urged those released to reintegrate positively into society and contribute constructively to their communities.
Addressing those still incarcerated, Justice Mohammed encouraged them to remain hopeful, serve their sentences faithfully, and clarified that only the state governor holds the constitutional power to issue pardons to convicted inmates.
Meanwhile, Salihu Abdullahi, the Controller of Corrections for Gombe State, revealed that the Gombe Medium Security Custodial Centre, originally built in 1919 to house 379 inmates, now holds 1,076 individuals.
Of this number, 628 are awaiting trial, 344 are serving convictions, and 101 are on death row. Abdullahi highlighted the severe overcrowding, pointing out that it violates the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 grants chief judges the authority to inspect correctional and detention facilities within their jurisdiction to safeguard the rights of inmates.
