During the visit to the Correctional faculty in Eket, Akwa Ibom State
No fewer than 46 inmates awaiting trial at the Medium Security Correctional Centre, along Liverpool Road in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are stranded and unable to attend court hearings due to the non-availability of operational vehicles to convey them.
The Officer in Charge of the facility, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, Samuel Bassey, disclosed this on Tuesday when members of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals forum paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Bassey said some of the inmates were brought in from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 but have never appeared in court once because there are no vehicles to transport them.
He said, “Sometimes we have to go to the local park to hire minibuses that will convey inmates to the court. The decision is very risky as you must ensure that the person you engage is trustworthy.”
