The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Ekaete Fabian-Obot, has ordered the release of 100 inmates from four Medium Security Custodial Centres in the state.

The development followed her weeklong inspection of the correctional facilities as part of the first-quarter review of cases. During the exercise, she examined more than 1,000 case files before approving the release of selected inmates on various grounds.

According to the breakdown, two inmates were freed from the Ikot Abasi facility, eight from Eket, 27 from Ikot Ekpene, while 63 inmates were released from the Uyo custodial centre.

The Chief Judge explained that the releases were granted based on compassionate reasons, health challenges, missing case files, alleged trumped-up charges, and lack of diligent prosecution.

She advised the freed inmates to maintain good behaviour and avoid returning to criminal activities. She also criticised some police officers for obtaining remand orders but failing to continue prosecution after the legally allowed 21 days.

In addition, she urged magistrates to take proactive steps by fixing dates to strike out such cases and notifying relevant parties, stressing that cases should be dismissed where due process is not followed.

At the Uyo custodial centre, about 20 inmates suffering from serious health conditions were among special cases reviewed. One of them, Godwin Francis Etim, who is battling tuberculosis, was referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Ikot Ekpene for treatment.

A pregnant inmate in her final trimester, whose condition required medical care beyond the facility’s capacity, was also released to receive proper treatment.

Another notable case involved Magdalene Bassey Edet, who had been convicted by two different courts over the same offence. After already completing a 10-year sentence, she was serving an additional two-year term from another conviction related to the same matter. The Chief Judge ordered her release, citing her good conduct, and placed her on probation for the remaining two years, requiring her to report every three months.

However, she warned that any further offence would lead to her return to custody to complete the remaining sentence.

Among other cases reviewed were four inmates whose trials could not continue due to missing case files, reportedly linked to the long-term illness of a prosecutor who had been absent for about three years. Six others were found to have been wrongly charged.

One example was Idara Christopher Kingsley, who had been detained instead of her husband after reporting a machete attack against her. Her husband was wanted in connection with a family dispute, but she was the one arrested.

Earlier, the Officer in Charge of the Uyo custodial centre, Ezekiel Ebenezer Inyang, described the Chief Judge’s visit as timely, noting that the facility is currently facing severe overcrowding.

He revealed that the custodial centre, originally built in 1912, now houses more than 1,600 inmates and is under significant pressure. He also mentioned that a windstorm accompanied by heavy rainfall on February 17 damaged three cell blocks and brought down part of the facility’s perimeter fence, worsening the situation.