Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, on Tuesday granted amnesty to 159 inmates at the Abakaliki Custodial Centre.
The released individuals, all indigenes of Effium Community, had been detained for nearly four years following their arrests over the intra-communal conflict that has ravaged the area since 2021.
The crisis, which originated from a leadership dispute over a motor park, escalated into widespread violence, leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of displaced residents.
During his visit to the facility, Governor Nwifuru announced the amnesty as part of efforts to foster peace and reconciliation in the state.
The Controller of the Centre, Bessie Offem, commended the governor for the intervention, noting that the decongestion of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abakaliki had become an urgent security concern.
“The Custodial Centre which was built in the year 1949 to accommodate 387 inmates currently houses one thousand, three hundred and twenty-three 1,323 inmates which is extremely overstretching our Custodial Centre facility
She said this is posing serious security threat to the State which could lead to riot, jail-break or other forms of security concerns if not handled urgently.
Governor Nwifuru said the amnesty followed the recommendations of the seven man Committee headed by Bishop Nnachi Okoro.
According to him, the gesture is part of efforts aimed at bringing lasting peace to the troubled community.
He urged the freed inmates to embrace peace at all times and to join in the efforts to restore peace to the community.