There was a mild drama at the Aguata prisons in Anambra State when a
defendant, Tobias Mbaekwe who was granted bail on health condition,
declined to leave the prison environment despite family’s readiness to
meets the bail conditions.
Mbaekwe,
who hailed from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo local government area of the state,
was among the three juveniles who were incarcerated at medium security
prisons, Aguata and ten others freed by the State Chief Judge, Justice
Peter Umeadi on health ground and delay in prosecution.
The
defendant collapsed on the floor shortly after the ruling that he would
be granted bail, begging the Chief Judge to allow him stay back in the
prison, where he said his life will be more secured.
He informed the court that his relatives, numbering thirty one, have ganged up to kill him.
“They
said they will kill me if I come back home. They grabbed my father’s
land after killing him in 1980. They latter kidnapped me and threatened
to kill me and that is why they abandoned me here since 2012,” he cried
out.
Justice Umeadi however directed the Aguata Prisons Welfare Officer to
take the defendant to the DPP of Ozubulu Police station who would in
turn accompany him home.
He also directed that the defendant be
visited every three months, adding that he could be re-arraigned by the
DPO anytime they wanted to prosecute him.
The Chief Judge, during
his visit to the prison for jail delivery service, also discharged a
34-year-old Obinna Nwankwo Udemgba who was incarcerated since 2013 but
has not been prosecuted by the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Ruling
on his case, Justice Umeadi discharged the defendant on the ground of
unnecessary delay by DPP to commence trial on the matter brought against
the defendant as well as the attitude of the defendant’s relatives who
abandoned him in the prison.
Other defendants granted bails during
the prison decongestion visit were Japhet Onwuchekwe, Toochukwu
Onyebuchi, Sunday Ulebe (Ebonyi), Amandi Dim, Chinonso Onyejeckwe and
others.
Justice Umeadi said the exercise was targeted at bringing
the court closer to the inmates, describing it as part of the corporate
social responsibility of the third arm of the government.
He
commended the security agencies, DPP, Prison officers, Red Cross
society, the judiciary and others for their efforts in ensuring that the
exercise was a success.
On his part, the Assistant Controller of
Aguata prisons, Mr. Ubaenyi Patrick described the visit as relief to the
prison authorities and family of the inmates, revealing that the 80
capacity prison facility houses 191 inmates, out of which, 161 were
awaiting trial. (DailyTrust)