Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has granted amnesty to 96 inmates of the various correctional centres across the state under the prerogative of mercy.
The governor donated N13 million to be shared among them as transportation fare and palliatives to enable them start small businesses and another N7 million for the payment of their fines as imposed by the courts that convicted them.
Mohammed said he decided to grant the pardon and amnesty following the report of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy that the affected convicts have turned a new leaf, adding that only those with minor offences and who could not afford to pay the fines imposed on them at conviction were selected for the amnesty programme.
The governor explained that he refused to grant amnesty to those serving long terms for capital offences in order not to encourage the commission of such offences.
Mohammed announced that each of the pardoned inmates would receive the sum of N100,000 to start a new business to sustain themselves and become good citizens.
Earlier, the Chairman of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, who is the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hassan U. EI-Yakub (SAN), disclosed that the council received a total of 106 applications from convicts seeking the indulgence of the governor for mercy, pardon or clemency.
