Niger CJ Pardons 12 Inmates

The Chief Judge of Niger state, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, has granted pardon to 12 inmates of old Correctional Centre, Minna, Niger state.

Justice Abdulmalik granted the pardon Thursday during a working visit to the custodial facility.

It was learnt that inmates have been in incarceration in the centre for five years without being arraigned in court by the police legal unit.

She reviewed some cases of those that have been in the Custodial Centre for capital offences of armed robbery, culpable homicide, among other offences who have been languishing in the jail for over five years.

Their case files, has not been sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Ministry of Justice for legal advice over the years.

The chief judge ordered for their summary trial by the chief magistrate on her entourage to the Custodial Centre and have their conviction backdated to the years they have been remanded in the custodial centre.

Two of the inmates, who got their freedom were awaiting trial for over five years without their case been taken to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice by the police in the legal unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department ( SCIID), while ten others were summarily tried and h their sentence backdated.

Addressing the released inmates, Justice Abdulmalik warned them not to get themselves into any criminal activities that will bring them back to the Custodial Centre again.

She advised them to engage themselves in meaningful ventures that would make them to be self reliant and be useful to the society and to themselves.