A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered the unconditional release of 150 inmates that have been in prison for almost nine years without trial from Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
This follows a fundamental human rights suit against the Commissioner of Police, Attorney General, Comptroller of Prisons Rivers State Command and the Chief Registrar of Rivers State Judiciary by a lawyer, Nasiru Ibiloye; and his organisation, ‘Access To Freedom International’,
Justice G. O. Ollor who delivered the judgment also ordered the four defendants in the case to pay N100, 000 to each of the inmates for their continued detention and breach of their fundamental human rights.
The judge ruled that the lawyer and his organisation which instituted the case for the inmates are legally bound to do so.
According to Ibiloye, his organisation had gone to the facility to ensure that the inmates were treated fairly when it was discovered that the facility was overstretched and some inmates have overstayed without having their day in court.
He said, “As an NGO, we went to the prison yard to check the amenities and ensure that inmates are treated fairly. We are building a library for them. In the course of doing these things, we discovered that the prison was overstretched.
“Some people have spent 10 years, some 15 years. We asked for their list. We first applied for their charge sheet. We could not get the charge sheet until the court made an order against the Chief Registrar.
“At the end of the day, judgement was delivered and the court ruled that all the inmates be released unconditionally.”
