The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaete Obot, on Friday, July 18, ordered the release of 123 inmates across the state’s custodial centres, including an 18-year-old mentally challenged girl reportedly found eating foam and other non-edible objects while in custody.
The mass release was part of the Chief Judge’s second-quarter correctional facility tour for 2025, which began on Monday, July 14, and concluded at the Uyo Correctional Centre on Friday, July 18.
Breakdown of released inmates:
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Ikot Abasi Custodial Centre: 4
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Eket Custodial Centre: 17
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Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre: 29
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Uyo Custodial Centre: 73
Of the 123 inmates released, 62 were discharged on medical grounds, suffering from conditions such as anaemia, scabies, and tuberculosis.
“I released you on health grounds. Go and sin no more, and stay away from acts that could bring you back here,” Justice Obot told the inmates. She directed that the mentally ill girl be transferred immediately to the psychiatric hospital in Eket for proper evaluation and treatment.
Justice Obot also ordered the sanitisation of the dormitory housing sick inmates and temporarily banned the admission of new inmates into that section to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
She expressed concern over the high number of inmates detained for minor offences who had overstayed the likely sentence they would have received if tried and convicted. Many had been held for years without formal charges or legal representation.
Among the cases highlighted was that of Etieno Okon, who was just 15 years old when arrested on a charge of cultism. He had been in custody for five years without trial and was released alongside his father, who had also been detained.
Justice Obot criticized the delays in prosecution and urged legal officers to uphold the rights of the accused. “Prosecutors must ensure that justice is not denied, and that no one is kept in custody without due process,” she emphasized.
