Authorities at the Akuse Prisons Friday failed to account for eight prisoners in their custody who were billed to appear before a makeshift court in the prisons.

Two judges, Justices C. J. Honyenuga and C.K Hometowu, who went to the prisons as part of the Justice for All Programme were shocked when eight persons were missing from the list of 23 remand cases slated for hearing.

Prisons officers were unable to explain the circumstances under which the eight could not appear before the court, except to say that two out of the eight have been granted bail. However, they failed to produce any documentary evidence to that effect.

They also said virtually nothing about the remaining six to the dismay of the judges who ordered immediate investigations into the whereabouts of the prisoners.

The prisons officers have until May ending to produce a report detailing how they were unable to produce the prisoners despite being aware that the courts will be sitting in the prisons today.

Joy News’ Iddrisu Latif who witnessed the hearing said the sitting started around 10:30 am which saw the first suspect being denied bail.

Interestingly, when the second accused was called, he said, the officers started looking at each other’s face. He was nowhere to be found.

Hearing has to move on, and the third and fourth persons were called but still there was no show, Latif narrated. After all the 23 cases were called, eight prisoners who were supposed to be on remand where nowhere to be found.

Attempts by Latif to get the prisons authorities to respond to the missing inmates failed. According to him, the officers said orders from above have been issued banning them from speaking to the media.