FCT chief judge frees 70 Kuje prisoners

The FCT Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Ishaq Usman Bello has freed 70 prisoners from Kuje Correctional facility to protect against the spread of coronavirus. The federal capital territory Abuja has confirmed eighty nine cases of the coronavirus.

Beyond the Court Room, Justice Bello decided to “free seventy detainees from Kuje correctional facilities” in Abuja, according to a statement by the FCT High Court, Daily Trust reports.

Some of the freed detainees were those suffering from ill health and other terminal diseases, inmates that are 60 years and above, convicts serving three years and above but have less than 6months to serve, mentally unstable inmates and inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000.

Nigeria Ministers, Mr. Abubakar Malami, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola were present at Kuje Correctional Facility during the visit by FCT Chief Judge to free the detainees. Meanwhile,  Justice Bello has so far brought Justice to nearly 4,000 wrongly detained prisoners in jail in Nigeria.

He began visiting prisons within his own jurisdiction in 2016 and was made chairman of presidential Committee on prison reform and decongestion in 2017.