Kogi - The Chief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasir Ajanah, has directed prison authorities in the state to carry out psychiatric evaluation of two inmates in Kabba Prisons to determine their mental fitness to undergo trial.
Ajanah gave directive on Tuesday while reviewing the warrants of 36 Awaiting Trial inmates at the Kabba Medium Security Prisons.
The chief judge also ordered that the evaluation test be conducted within two weeks, saying ``the earlier a man knows his fate the better.’’
He expressed disappointment that a similar directive he gave in February last year for one of the inmates, Friday Olorunfemi, to be taken to Psychiatric hospital for examination was not carried out.
While the mental condition of Olorunfemi had deteriorated, the condition of the other inmate, Abdullahi Umoru, who allegedly killed his brother and reported himself to the police, had become worse.
Ajanah said he had no choice than to recommend the duo for evaluation, especially Umoru, who according prison officials, now eats his feaces and mattress.
Officials of the prison also told the CJ that Umoru had been violent and constituted a threat to other inmates.
The chief judge also granted bail to two of the inmates, Dare Timothy, who is standing trial for culpable homicide and Lanre Aremu, who had spent two years awaiting trial for rape.
He said that unlike the Federal Prison at Koton-Karfe which was congested, the Prison in Kabba was under-utilised.
He said that the prison, built to accommodate 200 inmates, had 71, comprising 35 convicts and 36 awaiting-trial inmates.
Ajanah said most of the cases he reviewed were for `very serious’ offences like culpable homicide and armed robbery.
``That is why we could not release any of them,’’ he said.
``Much as we owe the accused persons a duty to ensure that they have a fair trial, we also owe the community a duty to ensure that they are safe from any criminal activities.’’
NAN