From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
An eighteen years old nursing mother, Beauty Obi who was remanded at the Warri Custodial Centre (Okere Prison) in Delta State has been granted bail by the state Chief Judge, Justice Tessy Diai.
Obi gave birth two weeks ago through a caesarian session at the Warri Central Hospital.
Authorities at the custodial centre told Justice Daia that the child spent one week in incubator, attracting N1,000.00 per hour, at the expense of the centre.
Deputy Controller at the centre, Mr. Lucky Joseph Edo, appealed to the Judge Judge to grant the accused bail to enable her go to her parents for proper care.
Justice Diai who was at the centre for jail delivery exercise, assisted the teenage nursing mother with N20,000.00.
She granted her bail with N250, 000.00 with one surety in like sum, adding that the surety to be resident within jurisdiction of the trial court, deposed to affidavit of means and provide national identity card NIN number.
Narrating the circumstances that led her to the centre, the 18-year old mother who hails from Obingwa in Imo State said the police arrested her and her lover at where he was about to sell a stolen phone.
Claiming she was unaware of how her man got the phone, Obi insisted that she was innocent of the armed robbery charge slammed against her, even as she thanked the CJ for the financial assistance.
Meanwhile, out of the 539 warrants of inmates reviewed, the Chief Judge also discharged five, stating that those released was based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions following their findings that they had no case to answer.
Among them were Lofore Difference (37), Innocent Okpaghe (37), Umukoro Kingsley (51) and Chenago Wisdom (29) who were charged with various offences ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.
Justice Daia lauded everyone who made the visit successful, especially the Judge of High Court 4 that just started hearing criminal cases and some of them were ready for judgement.
“Those are the kind of encouraging news I like to hear. I thank His Lordship and I thank the prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice who made that possible, ” Justice Diai stated.
Earlier the deputy controller of Warri Custodial Centre, Mr. Edo had disclosed that as at Monday, June 26, 2023 the centre had a lock up of 1001 comprising of 444 convicts and 557 awaiting trial inmates.
While expressing confidence that the visit of the CJ would lead to the release of deserving inmates, Mr. Edo disclosed that the Warri Custodial Centre covers 69 courts in various local government areas of the state.