"They said they will kill me if I come back home" cried the prisoner released by the chief judge.

 There was confusion at the Ekwulobia prison in Anambra State on Friday when a prisoner, Tobias Mbaekwe was released by Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi, on health grounds, rejected the bail. Mbaekwe hails from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra state, was among 13 others freed in the exercise. The prisoner fell on the floor shortly after the ruling that he should be freed on bail, begging the Chief Judge to allow him stay back in the prison, where he said his life was better secured. He told the court that his relatives would gang up and kill him if freed. He said, “They said they will kill me if I come back home. They grabbed my father’s land after killing him in 1980. They latter kidnapped me and threatened to kill me and that is why they abandoned me here since 2012,” cried the prisoner.
 Justice Umeadi, however, directed Ekwulobia Prisons Welfare Officer to take the defendant to the Divisional Police Officer of Ozubulu Police Station to take Mbaekwe home. The judge directed that the prisoner should be visited every three months to checkup on him. Justice Umeadi said the culprit could be re-arrested anytime the police would want to prosecute him.
 The Chief Judge also discharged a 34-year-old Obinna Nwankwo Udemgba, who was detained since 2013 without prosecution. Ruling on Udemgba’s case, Justice Umeadi released him (Udemgba) on the grounds of unnecessary delay by the Department of Public Prosecution to commence trial on the matter brought against him as well as the attitude of the defendant’s relatives who abandoned him in the prison.
 Others freed on bail were Japhet Onwuchekwe, Tochukwu Onyebuchi, Sunday Ulebe (Ebonyi), Amandi Dim, Chinonso Onyejeckwe. The CJ said the exercise was targeted at bringing the court closer to the prisoners, describing it as part of the corporate social responsibility of the judiciary. He commended the security agencies, DPP, Prison officers, Red Cross Society, the judiciary and others for their efforts in ensuring that the exercise was a success. Speaking, the Assistant Controller of Ekwulobia Prisons, Mr. Ubaenyi Patrick, described the visit as relief to the prison authorities and family of the prisoners. He said the 80-capacity prison facility housed 191 inmates, out of which, 161 were awaiting trial. The released Prisoners were grateful.