No fewer than thirty-one female inmates in the Nigerian Correctional Service Custodial Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, are all standing trial for murder.
This was disclosed by the Ebonyi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ben Odo, at the custodial Centre on Tuesday.
The AG made the disclosure when the wife of the State Governor, Mary-Maudlin Nwifuru, visited the Centre.
Nwifuru used the occasion to pay fines for 41 male inmates convicted with the option of fines to secure their freedom.
Among those released after Nwifuru paid the fine was a 16-year-old boy, Ogobuchi Ikebe, convicted for stealing Bluetooth.
According to the State Attorney General, the Abakaliki Correctional Service Custodial Centre has a total of 1,265 inmates. Out of which 31 of them are females.
Odo noted that none of the 31 female inmates were among the released inmates after the payment of the fines by Mrs. Nwifuru. He pointed out that 31 women were facing capital offences.
The Attorney General stated that if the women are convicted, they would be transferred to Enugu maximum prison. “That is where those on death sentence are kept, awaiting execution,” Odo said.
One of the freed male inmates, Nwafor Emmanuel, 26, said he has been in the prison since August last year. He commended Mrs. Nwifuru for “freeing” him.
Narrating his ordeal, Emmanuel disclosed that he witnessed the death of five people inside the prison.
“I will not do anything that will take me back to the prison,” he said.
“I was convicted for stealing electricity-generating set,” Emmanuel confessed.
Addressing the freed inmates, Mrs. Nwifuru urged them to shun crime to avoid going back to the prison.
The Governor’s assured them that she would continue to fight for the less privileged in society.
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