The Enugu Maximum Security Prison, built in 1915 for 638 inmates, now houses 1,800 inmates, the Controller, Mr Alloy Uchenwa, has said.

Uchenwa made this known when Enugu State Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike, visited the prison on a decongestion mission on Monday.

“Due to this problem, the under-aged inmates are kept with much older and hardened criminals.”

He said the chief judge’s mission would contribute to decongesting the three prisons in Enugu, Oji-River and Nsukka.

The controller called on government, NGOs, FBOs, CSOs and well-meaning Nigerians, to re-activate the Institution for Juveniles at Hill-top, Ngwo.

Earlier, Umezuluike explained that the annual exercise was aimed at ensuring that criminal cases were not over delayed and to release cases not qualified to be in court.

“Our mission is to ensure that those who have overstayed are released and we shall try our best to meet the demand.”

He said that similar exercise would be carried out in Nsukka and Oji-River prisons and urged lawyers to ensure that it was orderly, smooth and peaceful.

One Sunday Ezulue who regained his freedom said he was convicted for killing his brother accidentally.

He expressed joy over his release after spending five years awaiting trial. (NAN)

•Photo shows prison.