Prison Decongestion: 31 Inmates Released in Kano

By Alex Enumah

The federal government has disclosed that 31 inmates have been released from the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kano.

The disclosure was contained in a statement by Dr. Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

According to the statement issued on Sunday, the Presidential Committee on Correctional Centres Reform and Decongestion facilitated the release of the inmates during their visit to the Kano Correctional Centre.

The committee was in Kano for an on-the-spot assessment of the condition of correctional centres and inmates with a view to making payment of fines for inmates who were convicted of minor offences with option of fines but unable to pay the fines as well as general review of peculiar cases.

The statement noted that while 19 inmates were released through payment of fines by the Federal Ministry of Justice, three were released through payment of fines by the Buni Yadi Foundation and two others were released after payment was made by another NGO.

Similarly, additional seven inmates were released due to old age, the statement added.

Gwandu disclosed that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) also brought to the attention of the Chairman of the Committee, Justice Ishaq Bello (rtd), the case of Rahama Husseini, who was in 2015, then said to be 14 years alleged to have been forcibly married off by her father and three days after, whilst her husband attempted to consummate the marriage, a struggle ensued which led to his unfortunate death.

While granting state pardon to Rahama, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State promised that the state government will support her rehabilitation process.

The inmate is said to have been in custody for almost seven years now.

Representatives of UNODC and Buni Yadi Foundation were also present to lend their voice and support to the release of Rahama.

Gwandu recalled that the AGF had on October 30, 2017, constituted and inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion.

He said that over 10,000 inmates have been released through the committee, adding that in recent times, the committee focused more attention on reformation of the juvenile justice.