Legal Year: Scores Of Inmates Benefit From Judiciary Medical Outreach In Bayelsa

No fewer than 700 inmates at the Okaka correctional center, Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state Wednesday benefitted from a medical outreach organized by the state’s judiciary.

National Wire correspondent who monitored the exercise reports that it was part of various programmes lined-up by the state judiciary to mark its 2024/2025 legal year.

In his speech, Chief Judge of the state, Justice Matilda Abrakassa Ayemieye said having had first-hand information from some suspects in course of their trials in the state high court, and related incidences of deaths of inmates in various correctional facilities, the judiciary under his leadership opted to carryout a medical outreach in the facility to examine and treat inmates.

He noted that the judiciary and the correctional service were both partners in the justice sector, saying his office periodically gets briefings on what obtains in the correctional facility, hence the medical outreach before his second visit for jail delivery, Thursday 19th September, 2024.

Also speaking, the state controller of correctional service, HF. Imoboa thanked the Chief Judge for the gesture.

He described the medical outreach by the Chief Judge as first from a Chief Judge of a state in all commands where he has served.

Imoboa also commended the state governor, Senator Douye Diri for giving directives to the state’s ministry of health to handle medical situations the facility is unable to contain, also noted that the medical outreach by the state judiciary is a pointer to the fruitful synergy the service has with the judiciary.

Similarly, the team-lead for the medical outreach, Pharmacist (Sir) Preye Enisuoh has promised thorough investigation and treatment of ailments from inmates who take advantage of the programme.

He lauded the Chief Judge for finding him and his team worthy to carryout the outreach, noting that though his professional association has previously been to the correctional facility for a similar event, never in the history of his career has he been part of such a huge medical programme coming from the Judiciary.

Enisuoh said: From the records given to us, there’re are about 750 inmates in this correctional facility. But this is the biggest medical outreach which has brought me to the correctional facility, Okaka.

“I’ve previously been here with my professional association, but of course it wasn’t as big as this one coming from the office of the Chief Judge”.