BY LEVI JOHNSON
Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad has directed all Chief Judges both at the federal and state levels to speedily take steps to free inmates and pass judgement on prolonged criminal cases across the country.
He posited that in doing this, the prisons would be decongested and thereby minimised the spread of the deadly coronavirus across the country.
The CJN in a circular issued on Friday to the media said he issued the directive all judges in Nigeria in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
He told the Chief Judges to ensure that criminal cases in their jurisdictions were speedily attended to, adding that judges should personally visit prisons within their jurisdictions.
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While decrying a large number of awaiting trial inmates in prisons across the country, said: “it has become imperative for your lordships to embark on an immediate visit to all custodial/correctional centres within your respective states to identify and release deserving inmates, where that has not been done already.”
Detail coming shortly.
