Musa Abubakar Danladi, the Katsina chief judge, has ordered the releasýe of 185 inmates as part of a measure aimed at curtailing the spread of COVID-19 by limiting social gatherings and contacts.
A statement by on Monday, April 13, 2020, the chief registrar of Katsina State Judiciary, Kabir Shu’aibu, said the measures were in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and the chief justice of Nigeria, CJN, Muhammad Tanko, to heads of court in Nigeria.
He said: “Following the directive of NCDC and CJN over curtailing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and the directive to decongest overcrowded correctional facility, the Chief Judge of Katsina State has during a visit to the Centers reviewed 200 cases over the detention order of persons awaiting trials in part of Katsina state.”
A breakdown of those released showed that 146 were awaiting trial inmates, 128 critically sick inmates who were conditionally released and eleven other awaiting trials who were discharged.
The registrar further stated that the Katsina CJ has also directed Judges of High Court on all judicial divisions to review all cases and detention orders of persons awaiting trial in various courts and exercise their powers indiscretion to grant bail to deserving cases.
In a related development, two Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, Hospital Friends Association and Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, have paid the court fines of 28 inmates, who were later discharged from the correctional Centres.
The two NGOs also donated sanitary items, including sanitizers, disinfectants, soaps, and face masks to the correctional center during their visit.
