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 currently unable to attend their 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, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by members of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals forum to his office.
Bassey revealed that some of the inmates, including those brought in from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023, have never appeared in court because there are no functional vehicles to transport them.
“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,” he said.
He noted that the facility’s jurisdiction covers nine local government areas with 18 courts, adding: “About 46 inmates are there unable to appear in Court. It is difficult to take the inmates to court without having operational vehicles. None of our vehicles are functional. Even the one at the workshop cannot be fixed. We really need support to discharge our duties effectively.”