Daily Chronicle
No fewer than 31 awaiting trial persons (ATPs) from Bauchi Custodial Centre and other correctional service across the state on Tuesday 1st August, 2023 regained their freedom, courtesy of the Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
The State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatin Umar who led the committee on a routine quarterly visit to review cases, released the awaiting trial persons where she charged them to be of good and examplary conduct when they rejoined the larger society.
A breakdown of the correctional service ATPs showed that 14 persons were set free from the Bauchi Custodial Centre, as 10, 5 and 2 were respectively released from Tafawa Balewa, Ningi and Misau correctional centres.
At the Katagum Correctional Service in Zaki LGA, one of the centres Justice Rabi Talatu Umar visited, she expressed worry on seeing over 100 young and energetic youths languishing in jail due to civil and criminal offences.
Justice Rabi Umar therefore charged youths in the state disabuse their minds from the get rich quick syndrome which often trap them into jail, saying there is nothing to hurry in life.
The Bauchi Chief Judge similarly tasked parents and guardians to pay more attention to proper upbringing of their children whom she described as leaders of tomorrow.
At the Bauchi Custodial Centre, while the CJ was reviewing cases, she chastised prosecutors for the shoddy documentation of cases stressing that, where a case file is traced, you find that it is not updated. She therefore asked prosecutors to brace up to their duties.
She also expressed concern at a situation where case files are being delayed at the Ministry of Justice when sent for seeking advices, stressing that justice delayed is justice denied.