An 18-year old girl and 33 others serving jail time in Sokoto Central Prison, Gwadabawa, Bissalam, Tambuwal and Wurno prisons in the state have been set free after Senator Aliyu Wamakko, representing Sokoto Central, paid off their fines, compensation and debts under his free legal services foundation.
The freed inmates were given N 20,000 each as transport fare to their various towns and villages.
Wamakko said the gesture was aimed at assisting the freed inmates to celebrate the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr celebrations with their families.
He added that it was part of efforts to reduce the congestion in the prisons.
The Senator who spoke through Bashiru Mu’azu, advised the beneficiaries to strive to be good and productive citizens as well as shun any acts capable of taking them back to the prison.
Secretary of the Aliyu Magatakarda Free Legal Services Foundation, Abdulhamid Zubairu, spoke on some activities of the foundation to include representing some inmates in court, who are in dire need of legal representation.
He noted that absence of legal representation had kept some of such inmates in prison custody.
Zubairu added that the payment of the fines of the 34 inmates was part of efforts to assist the less privileged languishing in prison custody.
Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association( NBA), in the state, Lema Wali who applauded Senator Wamakko’s gesture urged other wealthy individuals to emulate him.
The NBA chairman represented by the secretary, Kabir Mohammed stated readiness to partner with other individuals and organizations on such gesture.
