Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has offset the fines of 153 inmates with minor offenses servicing various jail terms from correctional facilities across the state amounting to N1.2 million.
Similarly, the Governor supported the freed inmates with the sum of N50,000, as start-up capital.
Mohammed, while speaking at the ceremony, said the fines and penalties of the inmates were paid from his pocket.
He explained that the action was carried out after due consultation with the state Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, adding that the fines and penalties range from a minimum of N5,000 to a maximum of N30,000
“That is why it is easy for any public-spirited individual to pay because all their fines range from N5,000, N8,000, N10,000, and the highest being N30,000. This is very incredible.”
“We are providing every freed inmate the sum of N50,000 to start a small business to make them self-reliant. We believe that empowering the poor economically is one of the best ways to ensure peace, security, and crime prevention.
“The men that I will be pardoning today, are of no use to their society if they are left languishing alongside hardened criminals. I will be pardoning them with the expectation that they would go back and be an asset to their communities and work to support their families, our beloved state and nation,” he said.
Earlier in her remark, the Chief Judge of Bauchi state, Rabi Talatu Umar, said the gesture would go a long way in decongesting the correctional facilities in the state.
One of the pardoned inmates, Sa’idu Giade, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the governor for the gesture and assured him that they will make judicious use of money for the purpose intended.
- Police Arrest Suspect Who Stabbed A lady In Damaturu - May 1, 2024
- Petrol Scarcity: IPMAN Accuses Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation - May 1, 2024
- Over 6,000 Nigerian Refugees Faces Repatriation - May 1, 2024
