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.
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