Ekiti Chief Judge Orders Release of 57 Awaiting-Trial Inmates in Ado-Ekiti
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, has approved the release of 57 inmates awaiting trial at the Federal Correctional Centre in Ado-Ekiti.
The decision was taken on Friday during an official inspection of the custodial facility, where the Chief Judge reviewed a total of 518 pending cases involving 511 male inmates and seven females.
Explaining the basis for the releases, Justice Ogunmoye disclosed that six inmates were granted bail, nine were discharged after being found to have no case to answer, while 42 others were freed without conditions due to health challenges and the minor nature of their offences.
Addressing the freed inmates, the Chief Judge urged them to live responsibly and avoid actions that could bring them back into conflict with the law, warning that Ekiti State would not tolerate criminal behaviour.
He expressed appreciation to key stakeholders who supported the exercise, including officers of the Nigerian Police Force Legal Unit, Ekiti State Command, the Director of Public Prosecutions, court registrars and members of both the private and public bar.
Justice Ogunmoye also praised the Comptroller of Corrections in charge of the facility, Olufemi Okuseinde, for ensuring cleanliness within the centre and prioritising the wellbeing of inmates.
In her remarks, Okuseinde described the visit as a source of hope and relief for many detainees. She drew attention to the severe congestion at the centre, revealing that it currently houses 922 inmates despite having a capacity of only 324.
She appealed to the Chief Judge and the Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata (SAN), to intervene by facilitating the construction of additional cells and buildings to improve inmate classification, rehabilitation, and sentence management.
The exercise was witnessed by the Attorney General, high court judges, magistrates, the Director of the Legal Aid Council in Ekiti State, Mr Adeyinka Opaleke, and other officials.
