Bauchi CJ laments 1,556 inmates languishing in 13 prisons state

Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar has
lamented that not fewer than 1,556 inmates are presently
languishing in 13 prisons across the Bauchi State just as she
disclosed that 408 holding charge cases were recorded from the
magistrate courts.

Justice Rabi Umar stated this Thursday at a one day summit on
Justice Reforms and Human Rights in Bauchi state, organised by the
Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI) in collaboration with
Citizens Unite for the Rehabilitation of Errants, (CURE Nigeria),
held at the conference hall, Federal Secretariat Bauchi.

The CJ who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Chief
Registrar, Finance and Administration, Bauchi High Court of
Justice, Emmanuel Danjuma, stated that the state recorded a total
number of 408 holding charge cases from seven Chief Magistrate
Courts, awaiting legal advice from the ministry of Justice.

She also noted that detention of an accused person in prison
custody which forms part of pre-trial stage of criminal Justice
system has posed some challenges which include deliberate and
abandonment of pre-trial of the suspect in prison custody, lack of
follow-up of remand cases by Magistrates, poor investigation of
criminal allegations by police officers amongst others.

“A holding charge is unknown to Nigeria’s law and any accused
person detained is entitled to be released on bail within a
reasonable time before trial. Therefore, holding charge has no
place in Nigeria’s Judicial system” She said

Rabi Umar then called on the state government to hasten the
domestication of the Justice bill into law in order to address
problems of unnecessary court adjournments, court congestion and
judicial corruption.

In his address at the occasion, the State Executive Director,
Prison Inmate Development Initiative, Mbami Iliya Sabka said that
the organization, came into existence in 2012 as a result of
struggles of minority groups which suffered human right violations
and wanted Justice, adding that the organization also engages in
rehabilitation, monitoring and evaluation of human abuses,
especially in prisons.

NDLEA: Pharmacists Convicted over Diversion of
Ephedrine
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has secured the
conviction of a pharmacist Geoffrey Ezeokwu and his assistant Moses
Ajibo for unlawful diversion of ephedrine, a precursor chemical for
the production of methamphetamine. They were sentenced to three
years each to commence, immediately. This will be the Agency’s
first conviction of a precursor chemical.

The case was tried at the Federal High Court, Lagos by Justice
Salisu Saidu in Federal Republic of Nigeria Versus Moses Ajibo and
Geoffrey Ezeukwu. They were arrested in June 2012 where 300
kilograms of Ephedrine was recovered while 200 kilograms of the
precursor chemical was discovered to be missing. The consignment
was meant for Marleyshree Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Sabongari, Kano
but was kept in their warehouses in Lagos.

The duo was charged for diversion of both the missing 200
kilograms and the recovered 300 kilograms on a five count amended
charge. The Agency called a total of ten witnesses and tendered
several exhibits while the Defense called four witnesses including
the Defendants who testified on their own behalf. Sunday Mbona
Joseph, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, ACGN, and NDLEA
Director of Prosecution and Legal Services led the NDLEA
prosecution team while the Defense was led by Damian Dodo (SAN) and
Prof. Fabian (SAN).

After exchange and adoption of written addresses, Justice Saidu
delivered the judgment, convicting and sentencing the two
Defendants to three years each. The Pharmacist is the second
Defendant Geoffrey Ezeukwu who was convicted for diversion of the
recovered 300 kilograms while his Assistant Moses Ajibo was
convicted for the missing 200 kilograms count two of the
charge.

Jonah Achema, ACN
Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs