No fewer than 13 inmates have been freed by the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Justice Elvis Ngene, on Tuesday, from the Afikpo Custodial Centre.

The Whistler quoted Justice Ngene saying that the release which was in line with the 1999 Constitution was aimed at decongesting the custodial centre.

Reports revealed that twenty-three cases were heard; two out of the twelve freed inmates were discharged while ten were released on bail with eleven inmates further remanded in custody.

“The exercise is to grant freedom to those who may have overstayed their sentence if they had been convicted.

“The exercise is also to grant bail to those who have been in custody over minor cases which are bailable offences.

“The jail delivery is not for those standing trial for capital offences or those whose cases are already before courts of competent jurisdictions,” Ngene said.