The Federal Government said on Thursday that it has received N585 million for the payment of inmate fines to decongest correctional facilities throughout the nation.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement on Thursday in Kano, through an Assistant Director in the ministry, Dr. Anayo Romanus-Nzekwe, during the release of 150 detainees whose fines had been paid by the Federal Government.
The interior ministry had previously expressed concern that 4,000 detainees were languishing in custody due to their inability to pay penalties.
Tunji-Ojo had pledged that the Federal Government would pay the fines, which were believed to be over N500 million, and release the prisoners.
150 convicts were released from Kano State’s Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Janguza, on Thursday.
The minister stated that the 150 detainees were among the 4,068 planned for release nationally under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him:
“The Federal Government wants to decongest custodial centres and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.
“The released inmates were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with the option of fine and compensation and could not afford to pay their fines and are languishing in custody.
“The sum of N13.4m was spent in Kano State out of the N585m raised by philanthropic individuals, groups and corporate bodies, as part of their corporate social responsibility, for this purpose nationwide.’’
He said that all detainees in the detention institutions with fines and restitution of less than N1m were eligible for the gesture.
“We have given the inmates requisite training aimed at impacting their lives functionally and equipping them with the knowledge and skills for their self-reliance upon discharge,” he added.
cc: Punch Ng
