Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Ishaq Usman Bello, last Wednesday ordered the release of eight inmates from Suleja Custodial Centre in exercise of powers granted him by the Criminal Justice Special Provision Acts.
Suleja Prison, though in Niger State, falls within the jurisdiction of the FCT judiciary and is periodically inspected by the Chief Judge.
Justice Ishaq Usman Bello
Bello equally took time to listen to various complaints from some of the prisoners and reassured them of the commitment of the FCT judiciary to put workable measures in place with a view to reducing the number of people languishing in prison custody without a valid charge preferred against them in court.
According to one of those released, who identified herself as Vera, the CJ said the judgment given to her was too harsh (it has to do with lieing against someone).
She said she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a judge in FCT and had barely spent two years in prison before her release.
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Boko Haram insurgents have killed at least 40 farmers in Zamarmari area of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by slashing their throats.
The incident happened on Saturday in Koshobe Village near Maiduguri, the state capital.
One of the farmers, who escaped during the attack, Nasiru Usman, said trouble started after some of them apprehended a Boko Haram insurgent, who approached them with request for food.
He said the attackers also abducted seven farmers and injured others.
The bodies of the victims have been taken to Zabarmari Village where they would be kept ahead of burial on Sunday.
Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have increasingly targeted farmers in their violent campaign.
They are accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and local militia fighting them.
Grace Abdul, a journalist with the Voice of America, has narrated her ordeal in the hands of Nigerian Army operatives, who illegally arrested and detained her for hours in Oyigbo, a community in Rivers State.
Abdul was arrested on Saturday by soldiers, who were enforcing curfew in the community.
The journalist, who spoke with SaharaReporters after her release, said she had barely started her work when the soldiers assaulted and arrested her.
According to her, the soldiers described journalists as ‘enemies of the state and enemies of Nigeria’.
Abdul said: "I just started and first picture I took was of the burnt police station. The soldiers came in immediately and said I was snapping them. They abused me and assaulted me.
“They (Soldiers) held me for over five hours before allowing me to go. They said we are enemies of the state and enemies of Nigeria.”
The journalist stated that the soldiers asked her to apologise but she insisted that she had done nothing to warrant an apology from her.
She alleged that the security agents wanted their activities in the community to go unreported, hence, her arrest.
Oyigbo community has been tensed following a reprisal attack by the military.
The Nigerian military claimed that some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra attacked security posts as they stole weapons, killed some security personnel and burnt police stations.
The government had claimed that six soldiers and four policemen were killed in Oyigbo.
Under the guise of arresting the perpetrators whom the military claimed lived in Oyigbo, troops were deployed to the community and they embarked on killing spree and arrest of people, mainly young men.
The activities of the military was aided by the curfew declared by Governor Nyesom Wike, who immediately invaded the community.
Some residents, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said soldiers shot at unarmed villagers with the intent to kill while arresting anyone, who attempted to confront them or was lucky enough to escape being killed.
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