The Musa Halilu Ahmed Foundation has facilitated the release of forty-one prison inmates serving various jail terms at the Numan Prisons in Adamawa state.
Speaking at the event, the foundation’s founder, who is also the Dujima Adamawa 1, Alhaji Musa Halilu, said the gesture was in the spirit of Eid-Mubarak and in support of the federal government’s efforts to further decongest the nation’s prisons.
Daily Trust recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier directed all governors in the country to do everything possible to decongest the prisons.
Those who were granted clemency were young men between the ages of 18 and 25, as these are among the productive workforce in the country, a statement from the foundation noted.
“The alarming rate of youths in Nigerian prisons is negatively impacting on the nation’s development. This gesture will encourage these young men to become responsible citizens and live a crime-free life.
“We want them to return to their families and also contribute to the development of the country, and this can only be done when we support and empower them with necessary tools to function effectively in the society and live a meaningful life.
“Besides release, those granted clemency will be rehabilitated, reintegrated and empowered with skills acquisition for six months. Thereafter, they will be provided with seed grants to stay independent and become self-sufficient,” Halilu said.
The founder however promised continuous support to the state’s Prison command in order to improve the condition of prison facilities across the state.
The freed inmates, who could not conceal their joy, thanked the Dujima Adamawa, Alhaji Musa Halilu, for securing their release and promised to be good ambassadors of their families and the nation.
In his remarks, the Controller of Prisons in Adamawa state, Audu Umar, thanked the Dujima Adamawa 1, and advised the ex-inmates to keep away from crime to avoid going back to jail.
