The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaete Obot has on Tuesday pardoned four prison inmates of Medium Security Custodial Center, Ikot Ekpene during inspection of the facility.
Among those released is an 18 year-old boy from Abak who was charged with extreme breach of peace, over issues relating to payment of house rent.
The case of the young boy, who is the only child of his mother, a virtually impaired woman, drew the attention of the Chief Judge.
The inmate, who had spent three months in prison, told the Chief Judge that trouble started when their landlord died, leaving behind three wives and many children.
He said the situation led to confusion over who, among the three wives, should the house rent be paid to, adding that he paid the rent to the most senior wife, which did not augur well with the third wife.
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He said the third wife attacked his blind mother, prompting him to retaliate noting that, the retaliation led to his arrest by the Police.
The three other inmates also released were, Moses Sunday Akpan from Abak who had spent over three years in prison custody for allegedly entering a house to steal and Akaninyene Eshiet Akpan, a physically challenged, from Oruk Anam, who had been in prison since 2019 for allegedly destroying economic trees in his village.
The Chief Judge, Justice Obot said the inmates had spent sufficient years in custody, more than the years of punishment provided for the offense they were charged, advising them to go and sin no more.
“The suspects have spent sufficient years in custody more than the years of punishment for the offense they were charged.”
Meanwhile, the four freed inmates are among the 1006 inmates in Medium Security Custodial Center, Ikot Ekpene.
Of the number, 25 are condemned, while 818 are awaiting trial.
