2,400 Inmates Awaiting Trial in Akwa Ibom – Controller

THE Controller, Akwa Ibom State Correctional Service, Mr Julius Ezugwu  has disclosed that out of 2, 851 inmates in the correctional centres across the state, that 2, 400 are awaiting trial.

Ezugwu revealed this yesterday in Uyo during a workshop on “Assessment of the Implementation of the Akwa Ibom State Administration of Criminal Justice Law’ organized by the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre with support from MacArthur Foundation.

He lamented that such large number of inmates awaiting trial was responsible for overcrowded correctional centers in the state and stressed the need to address the challenge of overcrowding of the facilities.

His words: “We have a total of 2,851 inmates in the correctional facilities of the command, that is Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Eket and Ikot Abasi. Out of that number, we have about 451 as convicts, the rest are awaiting trial. They are products of the criminal justice administration.

“Every quarter, we ensure that we send our returns of awaiting trial persons to office of the Attorney General of the State and the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State. I enjoin you (participants) to look deep and help us on solution to overcrowding because when we have more than 80 per cent of inmates awaiting trial, it becomes a problem.

“The correctional service is for the reform of convicts and not awaiting trial persons. And  the situation where we have a predominance of awaiting trial persons would be a challenge to all the institutions in the criminal justice system”

In her remarks before declaring the workshop open, the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Ekaette Obot noted that

she has issued a practice direction for the relevant usage and operations of the State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) by all stakeholders in the system.

Obot who was represented by Hon. Justice Edem Akpan also noted that the inability to enforce some sections of the law, makes it impossible to enjoy the benefits, expressing the optimism and  participants at the workshop would diligently assess how far Akwa Ibom State has fared in the implementation of that law.

“In acknowledgement of the fact of the inoperative sections of the Criminal justice law, I have put every arrangement in place to inaugurate the administration of criminal justice monitoring committee on the 17th October 2023, so as to carry out the statutory role as specified in the law.

” Also I believe that this workshop would proffer solutions for effective implementation of overriding benefits of all sectors, and all the stakeholders,” the CJ

In his presentation on: “The successes and challenges of the implementation of the Akwa Ibom State Administration of Criminal Justice Law; The role of the Judiciary”,  Justice Gabriel Ette, identified improved welfare and well-being of  operators of the system as one of the factors that would promote efficient  Criminal justice management.

Justice Ette who is a Judge of the State Criminal Court  stressed, “This is of paramount importance because when the workforce is made to feel undervalued, productivity nosedives.

“In Akwa Ibom State the Judiciary still go cap in hand to the executive arm of government for funds to execute its programmes.

This is a major debilitating factor that works against the effective implementation of this Law”