By Tochukwu Eluwa-Delta

Stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice, Delta State are uncomfortable with the directive of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Abuja, for placing embargo on admission of remand suspects into custodial centres across the country without consulting the states and critical stakeholders.

The reaction came on the heels of a circular sent by the headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Abuja, to all controllers of correctional service in the 36 states of the federation directing them to refuse admission of new inmates into custodial centres to curtail the spread of the coronavirus in the various facilities.The circular dated 06/04/2020 reads: “I am directed to inform you to put an embargo on the admission of new inmates of any category of custodial centres and boarstal training institutions under your supervision until further notice.”

The Delta State Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro who presided over the meeting stated that aside the routine stakeholders meeting usually held as a prelude to visits to custodial centres, stressed that the primary purpose of the meeting was for stakeholders to deliberate and brainstorm on the import of the circular from NCS.

At the end of the interactive session, stakeholders drawn from Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Service, Nigerian Bar Association, Legal Aid Council, Ministry of Justice and the Clergy, expressed dismay over the non-inclusion of the inputs of states, security architecture, heads of courts and critical stakeholders before taking such a far-reaching decision.

On the way forward, stakeholders recommended that the new inmates should be quarantined for 14 days to ascertain their COVID-19 status, and those who tested positive should be taken to isolation centers for treatment, while negative ones be admitted into custodial centres. The chief judge inaugurated a committee to examine, explore and recommend an interim measure of handling the problem of keeping remand suspects temporarily in a secured place until the embargo was lifted.

Members of the committee are Ngozi Momah, Functioning Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice as Chairman; Fidelix Odunna, O/C Legal, Nigeria Police and Mr Michael Asugo, Nigerian Bar Association. Others are E. Daubry, Department of State service; Flora Imo, State Coordinator Legal Aid Council and Mr Agbaragu Timothy, to serve as Secretary.