2 Inmates Regain Freedom
The Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Justice Idongesit Ntem-Isua, on Thursday granted freedom to two inmates of the Eket prisons, following their long stay without trial.
Ntem-Isua granted the inmates pardon, when he visited the prison as part of his tour of prison formations in the state.
The lucky inmates are 28-year-old Daniel Okon, from Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom and Itoro Edem, a 30-year-old man from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the state.
The chief judge said that the two inmates had stayed more than the stipulated years if they had been convicted immediately they were arraigned.
“Going by the prison terms on their cases, they should have spent one year each, but they had spent three years without any trial on the matter,’’ Ntem-Isua said.
Narrating his ordeal Okon said he was arrested in his village on the allegation that he maliciously damaged the window glass of somebody’s house while playing football.
Okon, who denied committing the offence, said the police arrested him three years ago and detained him in prison since then.
He said, “I am happy for my freedom and I thank the chief judge for coming to my aid, having suffered much in the prison for an offence I did not commit.’’
In his narration, Edem said that he was arrested and kept in prison for allegedly stealing two bunches of palm fruit.
He explained that he had a misunderstanding with the youth leader of his community, whom he said turned around and framed him up, got him arrested and had been in prison for three years.
He said, “God used the Chief Judge to grant me freedom, please give me a job that can sustain me.’’
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