Kano—
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, confirmed, yesterday, that more
than 70 per cent of Nigerian prison inmates were on the awaiting trial list.
Inmates in
class Dambazau, who disclosed this during a visit with Governor
Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State to Kano Central Prisons, told the inmates that
the visit was to demonstrate to them that the government was aware of their
existence and the challenges they were grappling with.
He said the action was
to mark this year’s Eid-el Fitr celebration. The minister, who was apparently
touched by the plight of some of the inmates, said: “The high number of
awaiting trial inmates is worrisome because the prisons are meant for convicts,
but you find out at the end of the day that more than 70 per cent of the people
there are awaiting trial inmates.”
According to Vanguard, He said some of the inmates were supposed to
stay for a few years but ended up staying for up to 15 years while awaiting
trial. The minister lauded the state governor for providing a vast piece of
land for the building of 3,000 capacity modern prisons in the state. While
conducting the minister round the prison, Ganduje revealed that he had
authorised the release of no fewer than 550 inmates as part of the celebration
of Eid-el Fitr. The governor said he would assist the inmates, who were freed
based on the nature of their alleged offences and reformation signs
demonstrated by them. He also promised to provide them with logistics to return
to their communities and reunite with their families. The governor, however,
asked them not to return to criminal acts likely to take them back to prison,
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