Muhammad Badaru, the governor of Jigawa State, has pardoned 17 inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, in the state.
Hajiya Zainab Baba-Santali, the Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Justice, disclosed this in a statement issued in Dutse on Wednesday, NAN reports.
Baba-Santali said the gesture was to decongest the correctional facilities in the state, especially during this period of Ramadan fasting and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar, has granted pardon to 17 convicted persons based on the recommendation of the State Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy under the leadership of Aisha Warshu Haruna.
“The inmates have been released from correctional facilities. The pardon is part of the routine policy by the governor to provide succour to inmates who are remorseful.
“The categories of the inmates vary from those who have committed minor crimes and three young persons that the Jigawa State High Court detained for a long time at the pleasure of the Governor for the offence of Homicide,” the statement said.
Reacting, the Jigawa Attorney-General (AG), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, said the gesture showed that the governor is compassionate to remorseful inmates.
The AG added that the Committee on Prerogative of Mercy had done well through meticulous scrutiny of inmates who deserved pardon before forwarding the final list to the governor.
The Attorney General further appealed to the people of the state to be law-abiding, stay out of crimes, report any suspicious activities to the security agencies and pray for peace and prosperity of the state and Nigeria at large.
