In a bid to decongest the Maximum Security Custodial Centre Port Harcourt by the judiciary to mark the annual legal year, 176 inmates with minor offences were released unconditionally during a jail delivery exercise.

 The exercise started taking place on November 10 and 11 and will end on Tuesday with the Rivers chief judge taking capital offences.

Deputy superintendent of corrections Juliet Ofoni, the spokeswoman for the Rivers command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), said this in a statement on Tuesday.

The offences of the released inmates included stealing, burglary, bench warrant, and contempt of court, among others.

Simeon Amadi, the chief judge, commended the prison controller, Felix Lawrence, and Efiong Okon Etim, the officer in charge of the maximum prison.

Mr Amadi commended them for the cleanliness of the environment befitting for transformation and rehabilitation as he urged the freed inmates to be good citizens and desist from acts capable of attracting the long arm of the law catching up with them again.

He also encouraged other prison inmates not to be discouraged as the exercise would be continuous.

Mr Etim thanked the government and the judiciary for living up to their responsibility by decongesting the prison and advised the freed inmates to behave well.

He further provided logistics to enable them to get to their various destinations in line with the service mission and vision.

(NAN)