The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, has ordered the release of 14 inmates from the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Centre as part of a jail-delivery exercise to address prolonged detention and decongest the facility.
The exercise was conducted on Tuesday as part of activities marking the opening of the 2026/2027 legal year of the Rivers State Judiciary. The Chief Judge said the exercise was backed by relevant provisions of the law and was intended to correct situations where people had remained in custody longer than legally justified.
Chibuzor-Amadi said those released fell into categories recognised under the law, including inmates who had spent longer in custody than the period they would have served if they had been convicted of the offences for which they were being held.
He also identified detainees whose cases had stalled through no fault of their own as beneficiaries of the exercise.
According to the Chief Judge, some cases had failed to progress because security agencies had not transmitted case files to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice. In other instances, he said, case files could no longer be traced by the police or the Ministry of Justice.
The Chief Judge said detainees should not continue to suffer because of such failures within the criminal justice system.
“I’m here to perform a statutory function pursuant to Section 1 of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision and Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 341 of Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law Number 7 of 2015,” he said.
He explained that the legal provisions empower the judiciary to release people who have remained in custody beyond the period they would ordinarily have served if convicted, as well as persons whose trials have been unduly delayed for reasons outside their control.
The exercise also formed part of the activities heralding the new legal year of the Rivers State Judiciary.
Chibuzor-Amadi cautioned officials of the custodial centre against disclosing confidential information about inmates selected for release. He said premature disclosure could create unnecessary tension within the facility.
Addressing the freed inmates, the Chief Judge urged them to make responsible choices and avoid conduct that could return them to custody.
He also warned them against allowing politicians to use them to perpetrate violence, noting that political activities were already intensifying ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Chief Judge said several young people had suffered consequences after being recruited into political violence and advised the freed inmates to stay away from such activities.
Earlier, the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Rivers State, Richard Moses-Williams, commended the state judiciary for conducting the jail-delivery exercise.
Moses-Williams said the release of the inmates would contribute to efforts to reduce congestion at the Port Harcourt custodial centre.
The exercise is part of broader efforts within the criminal justice system to address prolonged pre-trial detention and ensure that people are not held unnecessarily because of administrative or procedural failures.
The Rivers State Judiciary had earlier scheduled the jail-delivery exercise as part of activities marking the 2026/2027 legal year. The exercise was conducted pursuant to provisions of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act and the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
The release of the 14 inmates therefore combines two objectives: providing relief to detainees who meet the legal conditions for release and helping reduce pressure on the state’s custodial facilities.
The Chief Judge urged the beneficiaries to use their freedom responsibly as they return to their communities.
