Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, has granted freedom to 31 inmates who were serving sentences at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Gusau, the state capital.
On Friday, the governor paid a visit to the Gusau Medium Custodial Centre and issued an order pardoning the inmates in compliance with Nigeria’s Constitution.
Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor’s spokesman, stated that the decision was taken following a thorough review of the convicts’ records.
According to the statement, governors have the authority to decrease sentences and pardon offenders under the constitution.
During his speech at the ceremony, Governor Lawal stated that inmates guilty of different offences were pardoned to promote their transition into law-abiding citizens.
The statement read:
“Today, I am exercising the power granted by Section 212(1) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to show mercy to inmates, which aims to alleviate the hardships and psychological distress of imprisonment.
“The decision was made after thoroughly examining the prisoners’ records, which confirmed their genuine remorse.
“Furthermore, I have approved a gift of N50,000 to each pardoned inmate to support their reintegration into society.
“This is an effort by my administration to reduce the overcrowding in correctional centers, especially at this time when we are making arrests of suspected bandits and informants.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng
