The Rivers State Judiciary has released 23 inmates in the first phase of its 2026 prison decongestion exercise.
Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, Mr. David Ihua-Maduenyi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, July 27, 2026.
According to the statement, the exercise followed a directive by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, aimed at reducing congestion in custodial facilities across Rivers State.
The exercise involved visits by magistrates to correctional centres in Port Harcourt, Ahoada and Degema, where magistrates reviewed cases to ensure that no inmate remained in custody longer than the law permits.
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According to the statement, 18 inmates were released from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre and five from the Ahoada Correctional Centre. No inmate was released from the Degema Correctional Centre.
Those who conducted the review included Chief Magistrates Menenen F. Poromon, Ilanye D. Brown, N. N. Nnee and Obiareri N. Anugbum, as well as Senior Magistrates Wobia C. Akanie, Harold B. Nwinee and ThankGod Ndukwu.
The statement added that Rivers State Judiciary reaffirmed its commitment to promoting access to justice, protecting the rights of detainees and supporting continuous efforts to ease congestion in correctional facilities through periodic reviews and other justice sector interventions.
