Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has pardoned 153 inmates with minor offences servicing various jail terms from correctional facilities across the state.
The governor also supported each of the 153 inmates with the sum of N50,000, as start-up capital.
Speaking during the pardon ceremony, Mohammed 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
“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.
The governor said that the total amount of the fines and penalties of the inmates was N1.2 million which he said, was paid from his personal pocket.
“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 each and every freed inmate the sum of N50,000 to start a small business with a view to making them self reliant. We believe that empowering the poor economically is one of the best ways to ensure peace, security and crime prevention,” the governor 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 that they will make judicious use of money given to them for the purpose it was meant for.
Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustration
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