Bauchi Administration of Justice Committee releases six inmates, advice Shari’a Court Judges, Magistrates to always settle creditors, debtors

By Usman Shehu, Bauchi

In continuation of Administration of Justice the Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Umar has freed six awaiting trial inmates from Ningi and Bauchi Correctional Centres.

The Administration of Justice Committee led byJustice Rabi Talatu Umar during her committee’s quarterly visit to correctional centres to review cases of the inmates, released four and two awaiting trial inmates at the Bauchi custodial centre and Ningi correctional centres respectively.

The Chief Judge placed five other awaiting trials on bail application, pending the presentation to her of their case diaries, following their ill-health, coupled with old age.

Three of the bailable awaiting trials who are abandoned in the cells from three and a half years and above were never prosecuted as their ages ranges between 67, 68 and 71 years.

Justice Rabi warned the released inmates to avoid anything unlawful that would bring them back into the walls of correctional service, as she expressed serious concerns over some vibrant youths who are supposed to look for a better living through skills job acquisition, but only to end up in cells out of greed and self- centredness.

She also frowned at the attitudes of some Sharia Court judges and Magistrates who in their adjudication instead of striking a balance between a creditor and debtor on some valuables, ruled to keep the debtor in cells where he or she doesn’t have any means.

“Why keep the debtor in cells over an amount of only N30, 000, or #50,000 where he or she would consume government’s food of tenths and hundreds of thousands of naira”, the CJ queried.

Justice Rabi and her team which comprises officials of Bauchi Custodial Centre, Police, Court Inspectorate, Sharia Khadis, State Councils and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Bauchi, including judicial reporters, has during the quarterly routine exercise visited Darazo, Misau, Azare and Jama’are Correctional Centres