By BANNERNEWS Reporter
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr., representing Cross River South Senatorial District, has paid fines totalling ₦5 million to secure the release of several inmates at the Calabar Medium Security Custodial Centre, Afokang, Calabar South.
The intervention targeted inmates held for minor, bailable offences who had remained in custody for years due to their inability to pay court-imposed fines, some as low as ₦90,000.
The gesture, which prison authorities described as timely and humane, restored freedom to the affected inmates and offered them what officials called “a new lease on life.”
The exercise was carried out in collaboration with the senator’s wife, Mrs Nela Duke Ekpenyong, and a group of law school students under the Cross River State Law Students Association, University of Calabar.
The initiative underscored the senator’s commitment to social justice and constituent welfare, particularly for vulnerable persons caught in prolonged pre-trial or post-conviction detention over minor infractions.
Receiving the senator and his team, the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Cross River State Command, CC Aniekan Archibong Nya, conveyed appreciation on behalf of the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche MFR mni.
CC Nya described the intervention as a significant humanitarian effort that aligns with the NCoS mandate of rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society.
He stressed that acts of compassion and justice were especially critical amid prevailing economic hardship, noting that such support helps decongest custodial centres while restoring human dignity.
