In a bid to decongest the prisons, Kaduna State Government on Monday ordered the release of 547 prisoners from prisons across the state, among them nine old men who are above the age of 60 and an inmate infected with HIV.
The Kaduna, Zaria, Kafanchan, Kachia, Kwoi, Soba, Makarfi, Saminaka, Birnin Gwari, Manchok, Gwantu and Ikara prisons were the facilities where inmates were freed to decongest them.
Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Garba Uba-Shehu, told reporters on Monday in Kaduna State that the government had also dropped over 600 cases.
The commissioner said the release of the prisoners was in line with recommendations of the Prison Decongestion Committee set up by Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.
He said, “His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State approved the establishment of a Prison Decongestion Committee under my leadership with members from the judiciary and Kaduna State Prison Command and the Police to ensure the decongestion of prison.
“The committee has embarked on this noble cause in prisons and satellite prisons across the state. The committee released 547 inmates awaiting trial on minor offences, while over 600 cases were terminated.
“Similarly, the committee recommended and His Excellency has graciously approved that lawyers be hired to defend those awaiting trial for capital offences whose cases are to be filed before the High Courts in the state for trial. This is to assist in determining these cases expeditiously and help the accused persons to have access to lawyers, which they could not otherwise have had”.
Among the 547 inmates released, were 10 inmates serving three years jail terms and above, with six months or less to be released; nine inmates who were above 60 years of age and had shown good conduct in the prison and one Aminu Adamu, who was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment but was pardoned on the ground of being HIV positive.
Others are three inmates whose life sentence was commuted to 10 years respectively. They were found guilty of armed robbery and had served 11 years jail term respectively.
