Left, Bauchi Chief Judge, Justice Rabi with state Controller of Prison at the central prison
By Baba Shehu Oscu, Bauchi
The Bauchi Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Umar has called on the State Director of Public Prosecution to put heads together with representatives of Police Command at the courts with a view to looking at grey areas to find solutions to problems of inmates’ over-staying in prison without trial.
Justice Rabi who was Wednesday fielding reporters’ questions shortly after her review of cases of awaiting trial persons (ATPs) across seven prisons and Remand Home in the state, expressed concern that people are languishing in Prisons without trial.
She said: “I have directed the Director of Public Prosecution to put head together with the representatives of the police to make sure that they look at grey areas and find solution to problems of long stay in prison without trial.”
She added, “Because we cannot keep people in prison and just abandon them like that, they must live up to their responsibilities, this is just the truth.”
Justice Rabi, who during the tour across prisons and Remand Home in the state released 29 accused awaiting trial stated, “I have made my position known, if they fail to do that and I return to prisons and find the ATPs in the position I left them, I’m going to release as many as possible and no one should hold me responsible for that.”
The Chief Judge explained that every arm of government must make sure that it plays its own role in order to move Bauchi State forward, saying the public are very much concern about abandoning people without trial.
“If they don’t do their own work, we on our own side as the third arm of government cannot do their own job, so when they do their job we are always there,” she remarked.
Justice Rabi said however that she was impressed with the conduct of work of judges at both the Magistrates and Sharia Court levels, stressing that they are doing their job very well.
“When I went to Misau, we have only 5 persons awaiting trial, Azare 7 persons, Jama’are 13 persons and 5 in Ningi, so that means the Courts are sitting and they are doing their jobs.”
She said that the problems at Bauchi Federal Prison are further compounded with capital offence cases which the Magistrates cannot handle, however assuring that “we are going to do the needful to ensure that we reduce the number of inmates we have at prisons.”
Justice Rabi Umar gave the objectives of the prison cases review committee as to make sure that people are not unnecessarily remanded in prison custody, ensure judges are doing their jobs and to decongest the prisons.
Justice Rabi addresses journalists in her office
“I’m impressive with the level of work of the Magistrates and the judges, because we have only few people awaiting trials, which is an indication that they sit as at when due,” Rabi said.
Rabi also assured the readiness of the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed to constitute the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, and commended him for the logistics support given to the committee on the review of cases in prisons which, she said, made it to successfully carry out the assigned responsibility.
The Chief Judge similarly advised the accused persons, most of whom youths, to find something doing to fend for a living stating “You cannot live as a thief for life, it is not possible, so you just have to find a job to do and stay away from crimes.”
The breakdown of the 29 ATPs released across the state across the state indicate that Bauchi Central Prison has 13, followed by Jama’are with 6 and Alkaleri with 4, while Misau and Azare have two each, and one each for Katagum and Ningi, as well as two bails each in Misau and Azare.
