As part of ongoing efforts to decongest custodial centres and promote timely dispensation of justice, the Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Tessy Diai, has concluded the final quarterly jail delivery exercise for 2025, during which a total of 1,190 awaiting trial cases were reviewed across all correctional facilities in the state.
The exercise covered the five custodial centres and the Remand Home, beginning at the Warri Custodial Centre, where 313 cases were reviewed.
At the Sapele Custodial Centre, 147 cases underwent review, while the Remand Home in Sapele recorded four cases.
Similarly, the chief judge reviewed 191 cases at the Kwale Custodial Centre and 153 cases at the Agbor facility.
The tour ended at the Ogwashi-Uku Custodial Centre with 382 cases reviewed.
Of the entire 1,190 cases examined across the state, five inmates were released at Ogwashi-Uku on the advice of the director of public prosecution, who confirmed they had no case to answer.
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Justice Diai reaffirmed that the jail delivery exercise is designed to ensure fairness, legality in detention, and prevent prolonged or unwarranted incarceration.
“We don’t want a situation where individuals are detained without a charge or held longer than they should,” she stated.
Expressing satisfaction with the overall conduct of the review, the chief judge commended judges, magistrates, and the prosecution team for their diligence.
She, however, urged magistrates to quicken the pace of trials to ease pressure on custodial centres.
She also directed custodial officials to improve efforts in producing inmates in court as scheduled, emphasizing that timely production is vital to reducing the backlog of awaiting trial cases and enhancing the justice delivery system.
