By Sandra Kenneth
As part of ongoing measures to ease overcrowding in custodial centers across the state, the Rivers State Judiciary has ordered the release of 23 inmates under the first phase of its 2026 prison decongestion exercise.
The Chief Registrar of the High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, disclosed this in an official statement, noting that the exercise followed a directive from the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi.
According to the statement, a delegation of Chief and Senior Magistrates visited correctional facilities in Port Harcourt, Ahoada, and Degema on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to review pending cases and ensure no detainee was held beyond legal limits.
A breakdown of the exercise shows that 18 inmates were freed from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, five were released from the Ahoada facility, while no inmate met the criteria for release at the Degema Correctional Centre.
The review panel comprised Chief Magistrates Menenen F. Poromon, Ilanye D. Brown, N. N. Nnee, and Obiareri N. Anugbum, alongside Senior Magistrates Wobia C. Akanie, Harold B. Nwinee, and Thankgod Ndukwu.
Reaffirming the institution’s mandate, Ihua-Maduenyi emphasized that the Rivers State Judiciary remains dedicated to safeguarding human rights, broadening access to justice, and maintaining routine case reviews to curb overcrowding in the state’s correctional facilities.
