In what could be described as a long-overdue step toward justice, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has commenced the state’s jail delivery exercise with the release of 21 inmates from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, including a man who spent 18 years in custody without trial.
The inmate, Gospel Nwibari, was reportedly arrested in 2007 at the age of 14 and remained in detention at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre without formal trial or access to legal counsel.
Nwibari’s case stood out during the exercise, anchored on the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which seeks to decongest correctional facilities and address systemic delays in the judicial process.
Justice Amadi revealed that many of the affected inmates had no case files or traceable charges. While some were accused of serious crimes such as armed robbery and murder, he stressed that every individual is entitled to due process.
“Many of these inmates had no documented charges and no case files. Their continued detention serves no purpose in the pursuit of justice,” the Chief Judge said.
He added that all released inmates were recommended by the correctional authorities after careful case reviews and that their release is subject to verification by the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Addressing stakeholders during the exercise, Justice Amadi highlighted the urgent need for collaboration across the criminal justice system to tackle the issue of prolonged detention and overcrowded facilities.
He pointed out that holding suspects indefinitely without trial undermines the justice system and violates fundamental rights.
Prolonged detention, he said, not only deteriorates inmates’ mental and physical health but also adds pressure to already overstretched correctional facilities.
Justice Amadi clarified that the jail delivery exercise is not a routine task, but a core part of his constitutional and judicial duty as stipulated under the Criminal Justice release from custody special provision Act Cap C,4c laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and section 34 sub 1 of Rivers state Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 2015.
He used the opportunity to advise the freed inmates to embrace a new path and avoid any return to criminal behavior.
“The road ahead may be difficult, especially in communities still nursing pain from past offences. Society may not easily forgive, but the law must always remain fair and humane,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Controller of Corrections for Rivers State, Felix Madumere, raised concerns over the growing strain on prison infrastructure.
He noted that the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, originally designed to accommodate 1,800 inmates, is now housing over 2,500, creating logistical and human rights challenges.
“If nothing is done soon, we may be forced to halt inmate admissions temporarily to avoid a systemic breakdown,” Madumere cautioned.
