Custodial Inmate Tasks FG On Skills Acquisition
By Simeon OSAJIE
Master Gabriel Uwaya, an inmate at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ogwashi-Uku has appealed to federal government and non-governmental organizations to send instructors to the facility to equip them with requisite skills so that they would be useful to themselves and society when they eventually regain freedom.
Gabriel, 18, currently standing trial at the High Court 4, Asaba for murder implored the Chief Judge of Delta State Honourable Justice Tessy Diai, who is currently touring prison facilities across the state to use her good office to attract government attention to the issue.
Uwaya stated that the centre has three workshops built for carpentry, tailoring and barbing saloon but, none of them has qualified instructors or equipment to acquire vocational skills.
He disclosed that the assistant controller of correction in charge of the centre Mr. John Amanzi Unamba has been very kind, generous and compassionate to inmates even as he prayed for God’s protection and blessings.
The Chief Judge who released one inmate out of 448 warrants reviewed at the Ogwashi-Uku Centre commended Honourable Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro in charge of High Court 5 Asaba, and the prosecutors for the rapid progress of criminal cases in that court.
Justice Diai who acknowledged the difficulty in bringing witnesses to testify asserted, “I know the difficulty, I know the efforts the prosecutors put in to get these people to come to court. It is not easy. So I thank all of you for your zeal and hard work.”
She thanked brother judges, Chief Registrar, magistrates, Director of Public Prosecutions and team, chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Asaba branch and members, for their sedulity and diligence in making the visit successful.
While discharging Chinonso Aduba standing trial for conspiracy and murder, the Delta State Chief Judge stated that the defendant has no case to answer based on the Director of Public Prosecutions’ legal opinion.
When interviewed, Aduba, 27, who claimed innocence of the alleged crime, narrated that he was in his house at Akwuku-Igbo when a friend called him on phone that there was work for them.
According to him, as they were going they entered a camp but a woman warned them not to go further because something had happened in the area. But his stubborn friend asked him to discountenance the warning. As they proceeded further, Akwuku-Igbo vigilante apprehended them and took them to Akwuku-Igbo police station, from where they were taken to Anti- kidnapping.
He averred that he was innocent even as he thanked DPP for their thorough investigation that exonerated him of the alleged crime, which led to his eventual discharge.
Earlier, the assistant controller of Ogwashi-Uku Custodial Centre, John Amanzi Unamba informed the Chief Judge that the working relationship between staff of the High Court and that of the centre remained cordial.
He disclosed that the facility has 560 inmates as at Thursday, April 20, 2023 comprising 152 convicts and 408 awaiting trial.
So far, the Chief Judge has visited three custodial centres across the state where she reviewed total warrants of 977, to-wit: Kwale 292, Agbor 237 and Ogwashi-Uku 448. Out of this number, one inmate was discharged and one granted bail.
