He was among the eleven inmates that were discharged and released unconditionally by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Esther Edigin, from the Nigerian Correctional Center, Benin custodial center, Benin.
Esther said their release is part of measures taken by all stakeholders, especially in the Administration of Criminal Justice System, to ensure speedy decongestion of correctional centres, in view to the ravaging global COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of those who regained their freedom were charged for dangerous driving, those with no cases against them, unlawful possession of a tiger generator, breach of peace and unlawful possession of firearm.
The Chief Judge who released him said, “I don’t know or understand when overtaking has become an offense. The defendant is hereby released unconditionally and his vehicle released to him. The OC legal present here shall supervise the release of his vehicle within the next 24 hours.”
She noted that the categories of inmates to consider for release are those awaiting trial persons who have spent six years and above in custody or who have no cases against them.
Others are cases of aged and/or terminally ill inmates, inmates with very serious health issues, low risk offenders, inmates convicted for minor offences with or without option of fines and inmates who have less than three years left to serve having served a substantial term of their jail terms for offences that attract five years and above.
The other inmates released unconditionally are ThankGod Eneji, Samson Mbuko, Joshua Oziegbe Ebo, Emmanuel Idahosa
It would be recalled that Edigin also freed 11 prisoners on Monday from the Oko Medium Security Correctional Centre, in Benin.