Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has granted pardon to 17 inmates in the Sokoto Central Custodial Centre.
Muhammad Bello, Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Governor, in a statement on Tuesday, said the gesture was part of government’s good gesture as encapsulated in its Committee on Prerogative of Mercy protocols.
Three inmates out of the 17 were serving terms for federal offences while the remaining were held for state offences.
Making the announcement on behalf of Gov. Tambuwal, the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Suleiman Usman (SAN), said “the pardon takes cognisance of the executive powers vested in the governor to offer mercy to inmates by the 1999 Constitution as amended.”
According to him, the gesture which is also aimed at enabling the ex-prisoners to reunite with their family members and become decent citizens, was also intended to decongest the prison and protect the inmates from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The commissioner called on the pardoned inmates to shun vices and engage in viable ventures that would uplift their living standards.
He said: “This exercise is carried out on a routine basis to deserving inmates in order to offer mercy to them.”
Suleman also presented N50,000 cash assistance to each of the pardoned inmates from the state government.
He said the cash is to enable them set up useful ventures as they start new life out of prison.
Speaking on behalf of the state controller of correctional service, the Deputy Controller in charge of the Prison, Mallam Idris Muhammad, thanked the state government for its continued support to the prison.
