Chief Judge decries underage involvement in crime

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

The Delta State Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro has decried poverty as excuse by youth who are involved in crime, and lamented the involvement of under-aged in crimes, such as robbery and kidnappings.
According to Justice Umukoro, “some youths awaiting trial at various prisons’ formations in the state, often claim that poor family background and unemployment influenced their criminal disposition” maintaining that poverty was not an excuse for criminality.
The Chief Judge who made this known yesterday at a media conference held in Asaba, disclosed that while reviewing files of awaiting trial inmates in Sapele Prison, it was clear that many of them claimed they were involved in crimes because of their poor family background, and called on the youths not to use poverty as an excuse to indulge in criminal acts.
He noted that many achievers were not born with silver spoon, but attained enviable heights of their chosen careers through dint of hard work, and fear of God.
He said: “poverty is not excuse to commit crime, many of us seated here today were not born with silver spoon, but were directed by the word of God which assisted us, and the deceive to make it, all what you need to do is to work hard, and be focused” disclosing that 1428 remand warrants of inmates were reviewed in the four prisons’ formations, out of which 63 were released, and five granted bail.
Justice Umukoro said that many youths in detention were products of breakdown of family unit system, adding “it is painful that many of our youths between 17 and 25 years old are in custody, it only shows that the breakdown of our family system, many parents with due respect have failed to bring up their sons and daughters in the fear of God”.