Adamawa Jail Committee Wants Closed Correctional Centres Reopened

Daji Sani in Yola

The Chairman of the Adamawa State Jail Delivery Committee, Justice Nathan Musa, has appealed to the federal government and Ministry of Internal Affairs over the reopening of Gombi Custodial Centre shut down as a result of Boko Haram insurgency on the centre about seven years ago.

Justice Musa, who doubles as the Chief Judge of the state, made the appeal when the Jail Committee visited the Gombi council Correctional Centre.

Musa further explained that since normalcy has returned to the areas, it was okay for the authorities in charge of the centre to reopen it following the location of the centre in the area.

He emphasized that after convicting accused persons and those awaiting trials, the Correctional officers have to transport them from court to the nearest Centre in Mubi or Hong, which is about 10 to 15km away.

The chairman added that if the Correctional Centre is reopened, it would aid court proceedings, ease the cost of the daily routine of transporting inmates to court and prevent the possibility of inmates been attacked on their way to court or back to prison because of the distance which they have to travel through the forest to get to their destinations.

Musa assured some community leaders who had earlier appealed to him for the reopening of the Correctional Centre that he was going to take up the matter with the authorities concerned, adding that he believed that before the beginning of this year’s rainy season, the centre will be reopened.

Earlier Alhaji Audu Na’iro, the sarkin ayuka, on behalf of the residents of the area, made an appeal to the committee at the non-operational Correctional Centre of Gombi when the Jail Committee visited to centre.

While making the appeal, Ayuka explained that inmates were referred to either Mubi or Hong for lack of functional Correctional Centre in Gombi LGA, a development he described as dangerous, as they could be attacked by criminals while being conveyed to the intended destination.

The committee, which was earlier at Mubi Correctional Centre, discharged 25 inmates, one was granted bail, one referred to court to perfect the bail condition and moved to Hong Correctional Centre, and also discharged 14 inmates; upwardly reviewed one case from two to 10 years imprisonment, and downwardly reviewed one other from five to three years based on the weight of the offences for which they were been charged.

Meanwhile, at Dumne Correctional Centre, the committee discharged 22 out of the 43 inmates awaiting trial and reviewed one case.