Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
The Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, has during her routine quarterly review cases visit to various Correctional Centres across the state ordered the release of 22 awaiting trial inmates.
Justice Umar, pointed out that the 22 inmates released were from Darazo, Misau, Ningi, Jama’are, Azare, as well as Bauchi Correctional Centres.
She counseled the released persons to seek pardons from their parents, and equally engage in a lawful venture to fend for a living.
The Chief Judge warned that “any father whose son is incarnated in the custodial centre is in jeopardy, and any child who jeopardise his parents would receive punishment from God.”
Bauçhi Chief Judge said she was on a routine quarterly cases review of awaiting trial persons in various custodial centres across the state, with a view to speed up the dispensation of justice and reduce congestion in the centres.
Justice Umar explained that during the cases review visit, her team also supervised the duties of Sharia Court Judges and magistrates with a view to making corrections where necessary, and equally releasing inmates who were unnecessarily kept awaiting trial without concrete reasons.
The Chief Judge had during the visits to the custodial centres seriously warned Chief Magistrates and Shari’a Court judges to refrain from unnecessary reprimand of debtors in correctional centres in the bid to recover the debts, saying such action is retrogressive and not a solution to the problem, saying that such disputes in debts and marriages can be resolved through mediation and exploring avenues for amicable settlement.
Justice Rabi Talatu Umar during cases review of Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATI) under the Administration of Justice Committee which she is heading further warned the judges and magistrates not to allow their courts be stepping stones for litigants to intimidate debtors.
She frowned, “Don’t use your good offices to abuse the powers given to you. Are you suppose to keep a person, especially a female in correctional centre for just 30k. You caused for a reprimand of your debtor and at the same time you want your debt be recovered. what magic do you want your debtor to do, who is under detention in a correctional centre”.
“If you cause for the reprimand of a debtor, you are responsible for feeding him/her while in the correctional centre no matter how long he/she stay because government cannot should that responsibility at your instance, so I’m reminding correctional centre officials about this responsibility”, the Chief Judge said.
On cases of witchcraft, the Chief Judge explained that the courts don’t determine who is a witchcraft, adding “It is also naive, irreligious, and culturally immoral for an alleged witchcraft to be forced naked to cross over suspected victim as antidote for the witches”