From Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
The Bauchi State Chief Judge has warned Chief Magistrates and Shari’a Court judges against unnecessary reprimand of debtors in correctional centres in the bid to recover debts, saying such action is retrogressive and not a solution to the problem.
The State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatin Umar who sounded the warning Tuesday, said that such disputes over 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 to be used as avenues for litigants to intimidate their debtors.
“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 to be recovered; . what magic do you want your debtor to do, who is under detention in a correctional centre?”, he asked
“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 stays because government cannot shoulder that responsibility at your instance, so I’m reminding Correctional Centre officials about this responsibility”, the Chief Judge explained.
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 witch.
Meanwhile 22 awaiting trial inmates (ATIs) in Bauchi Wednesday breath air of freedom following their release by the State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar during her quarterly routine review of inmates cases across the correction centres in the state.
Setting the ATMs free at the Bauchi Custodial Centre Wednesday where fourteen (14) inmates regained freedom, the chief judge warned them against any retracing his steps back into the centre.
Justice Rabi Talatu Umar had the previous day Tuesday similarly released eight (8) other awaiting trial inmates at the three correctional centres of Misau, Azare and Ningi – 4, 3, and 1 respectively, and equally granted bail to two others each at Misau and Azare centres.
Rabi told the freedom regaining inmates that having learnt a lot of corrective lessons and skills tutorials while awaiting trial, and almost all of them spent no less than three years, especially those at the Bauchi Custodial Centre, they ought to learnt to become self-reliance on the various training and counselling they received.
The Chief Judge further warned that she would not take it lightly should anyone of them retrace his steps to perpetuate any crime or criminality in the society as, according to her, ‘a word is enough for the wise’.
Sha’awanatu Yusuf is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and an active member of the Administration of Justice Committee who drew the attention of the freed inmates that their release does not meant that none of them did not individually committed any offence, but for the corrective lessons impacted on them during the trial period.
The Controller of Bauchi Custodial Centre, CC Abubakar Kari Bajoga also chipped in to further warned the freed inmates that should anyone of them retrace steps back into the correctional centre, he would be reprimanded into a single cell.