Help may finally be on the way for thousands of inmates stuck behind bars in Rivers State,many of them just waiting endlessly for their day in court.

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, is set to visit the Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Centre on July 17, 2025, for what’s known as a jail delivery exercise. Simply put, it’s a legal process to review cases of inmates who’ve been locked up for too long without trial and possibly set some of them free.

The announcement came through the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, who said the move is part of efforts to decongest the overcrowded prison in line with the state’s Criminal Justice Law.

But that’s not all, the Chief Judge has also approved the deployment of magistrates to Degema and Ahoada correctional centres, starting today through Wednesday, July 9, to fast-track pending cases there too.

Let’s not forget: back in October 2024, the then Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma SAN, revealed that over 20,000 inmates were packed into the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre,most of them awaiting trial, with no clear timeline in sight.

This planned intervention gives a glimmer of hope, not just for inmates and their families, but also for a justice system under pressure to deliver. For many stuck behind bars without conviction, July can’t come soon enough.

~John Martins Ijere

● Gist Reports