Chief judge grants bail to 25 inmates in Taraba

By Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo

Twenty-five prison inmates at the Jalingo Prison in Taraba state were on Friday granted bail by the state Chief Judge, Justice Josephine Tuktur.

The chief judge made the announcement during a prison decongestion tour to the Jalingo Prison.

Justice Tuktur while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the visit, said, even though the well-being of the inmates was her major concern, she is insisting that the benefitting inmates must produce guarantors who will guarantee their appearances for trial during court sessions.

Tuktur, who confirmed that most of the inmates were those awaiting trial, said, they (the inmates) must take all necessary action to see that they secure their freedom.

While expressing concern over the delay by prosecutors in the dispensation of justice at various courts, Tuktur opined that if the police say they have not completed their investigations, what the court has to do is to advise them to hasten up their investigations.

She emphasized that the purpose of her visit was to decongest the prison, but insisted that the inmates must be tried in the court of law.

“We cannot set a criminal free without going through court processes just because we want to decongest the prison. All we have to do is to advise the police to hasten the prosecution so that those awaiting trial are tried without further delay,” she said.

The chief judge further ordered judges in the state to pass judgments on inmates who have admitted to committing the offences for which they are facing prosecution.

Justice Tuktur, however, lauded the efforts of the Controller of Prisonsin the state, Stephen Bulus for keeping a clean and healthy environment at the prison.