President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given his approval for the release of 150 prisoners from the maximum Correctional Center in Kano, according to Minister of the Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.The Minister said that the release was a component of President Tinubu's "new hope" campaign, which aimed to reduce the number of inmates in correctional facilities around the country.
The 150 released prisoners were among the 4,068 expected to be released nationally, according to the Minister, who was in Kano represented by the Assistant Director, Dr. Anayo Romanus-Nzekwe. According to him, prisoners with fines and reparations of no more than N1 million were taken into consideration.
He clarified that the goal of the federal government's initiative to empty custodial centers was to create space for offenders all throughout the nation to undergo appropriate reformation and rehabilitation.
The released prisoners are still being held in custody because they are unable to pay the penalty they were given, which included the choice of a fine and compensation.
Out of the N585 million that charitable individuals, organizations, and corporate entities nationwide raised for this purpose as part of their corporate social responsibility, N13.4 million was spent in Kano state.
The necessary training has been provided to the prisoners in order to improve their quality of life and provide them with the skills they will need to support themselves after release.
To help them go back to their different homes and communities, N10,000 was handed to each of them, the minister stated.
Tunji-Ojo urged the public and local communities to welcome back inmates with open arms and to avoid stigmatizing them because doing so could encourage them to commit crimes again, further jeopardizing society.
He begs the prisoners to view the initiative as a second opportunity to do things right.
The Minister of Interior was thanked by Mr. Halliru Nababa, the Controller General of Corrections, for securing the release of 150 prisoners who had been given fine options by several Kano State courts.
Numerous prisoners' lives across the nation have already been significantly impacted by the "fine paid and compensation," according to the CG, which was represented by Suleiman Inuwa, Controller of Corrections, Kano State Command.
He pleaded with the prisoners to refrain from committing crimes again and to wisely use the transportation fare provided to them in order to launch a side project that would enable them to support themselves.