Rabiu Omaku
No fewer than 36 inmates were pardoned by Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, those pardoned are inmates convicted for various offenses.
The state Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule said the effort to release the 36 inmates was in tandem with his constitutional obligation.
He advised those pardoned to turn a new leave by shunning any form of crime and criminality that would make them return to the Correctional Centre.
The Governor maintained that inmates were released not because they are innocent, but the Government believed that they most have learned their lessons for the time they stayed in jail.
Engineer Abdullahi Sule lauded the management of Correctional Facilities for their numerous programmes aimed at rehabilitating the inmates to make them better persons.
He applauded the management of the Correctional center for enrolling some of the inmates interested in pursuing their career in education to obtain degrees among others.
Mr.Aliyu Yahuza , the State Comptroller while Responding to the request of Correctional Service, Governor promised to provide sewing machines, welding machines among others to equip the entrepreneurship centres.
The state Commissioner Justice,Abdulkarim Kana, the Attorney-General, said this is the fourth time the Governor was extending the gesture to inmates in the last two years.
He further said that in order to ensure speedy administration of justice, the Ministry of Justice is currently prosecuting over 1, 000 cases at various courts in the state.
He said the ministry has commenced the implementation of the amendment Criminal of Justice, Law based on the approval by the Governor to ensure speedy administration of Justice.
He said with the new law, inmates who spend a long time awaiting trials, as well as their counsels, would agree on alternative charges so as to get a conviction for them.
He said it is better for them to be convicted instead of being detained on awaiting trials basis for many years.
Abdulkarim Kana said the amnesty programme and the plea bargain initiative would help decongest the Correctional Centres by ensuring accelerated justice.
The Comptroller of Nigeria Correctional center in Nasarawa State expressed gratitude to the Governor for the gesture and other supports being rendered to the facilities to better the facilities and welfare of inmates in the state.
Yahuza, however, appealed to the Governor to assist them with sewing machines, welding machines among others to enable them to equip their entrepreneurship centres.
