Father, Son Gain Freedom From Sapele Prison
By Timothy Agbaragu
SAPELE/Nigeria: Father and son were among three inmates Honourable Justice Tessy Diai discharged from the Sapele Medium Security Custodial Centre today (Friday, May 20, 2022) in her continuation of jail delivery exercise, making the total of 13 releases so far at Warri and Sapele.
Releasing the duo of Ezeribe Michael and Kiki Godspower, who were arraigned before the Magistrate Court, Osubi for conspiracy and stealing, the Chief Judge said their release was informed by the Director of Public Prosecutions’ legal advice.
Recounting their sad experience, the father said his son was working for a principal who traded on bitcoin in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. He continued that after a while, the master accused his son of converting money collected from clients.
This led the man and other persons to subject his son to torture. In the course of the beating someone called to inform him of the issue. When he arrived at the scene to demand the reason for the son’s inhuman treatment, Police came and arrested both of them and thereafter taken to the magistrate court and remanded in Sapele Centre.
Claiming innocence of the trumped up charges, they expressed appreciation to the Chief Judge for discharging them, praying to God to give her more wisdom and ebullient health.
Another inmate discharged by Justice Diai, Mr. Frank Onah who was charged for alleged murder of his girlfriend narrated that he invited his girlfriend to his house in December, 2021at Ogere community.
According to him, while in the house the four months pregnant woman took ill and was taken to hospital. She later died at the health facility. He said when he went to Police to report the incidence, the Police detained him in the cell and charged him to court for murder. He said how he could have killed his four months pregnant girlfriend who he was preparing to marry.
Justice Diai, who reviewed 219 cases of awaiting trial inmates, expressed dissatisfaction over the unnecessary delay by the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, to file information because of lack of witnesses, stating that it caused defendants to be held in custody in perpetuity.
She advised DPP to file information in the court even where there were no witnesses, and thereafter inform the court of their challenge in getting witnesses.
On the appeal by the Sapele Deputy Director of Corrections, Mr. Eugene Amechi Nwanze on issues of giving concessions to custodial cases, the state number one Judicial Officer promised to look into the matter.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Deputy Director appealed to the Chief Judge to ensure that courts should give concessions to custodial cases during proceedings, timely release of warrants to officers immediately after court proceedings and give notices to custodial centres when courts were not sitting.
He gave the total number of inmates in the Centre to 307 with a breakdown of 89 convicted and 218 awaiting trial.
