Of the 20, 11 inmates were discharged and nine awaiting trial inmates were granted bail.
In a move to decongest the correctional centre (formerly called prison) in the country, 20 inmates have been freed from the Makurdi Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Benue State.
Of the 20, 11 inmates were discharged and nine awaiting trial inmates were granted bail.
The release of the inmates was after the Chief Judge of Benue State, Aondover Kaka’an, ordered their release.
This is coming barely a week after the state signed the release of 12 persons from the correctional centre.
The release was to decongest the custodial centre in order for the inmates to maintain social distancing among themselves now that COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging the world, according to the Kaka’an.
“This is continuation of what he started in Otukpo MSCC last week which 12 inmates benefited.
“Those who benefitted in this exercise were those whose cases have lingered unnecessary in courts,” Justice Kaka’an said.
In order to make it easy for tracing of released inmates in case their matters are brought again to courts, the police brought their finger printing equipment for capturing the data of the released inmates.