Adamawa Chief Judge Releases 42 Inmates

Adamawa State Chief Judge, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahaman has discharged and acquitted 42 inmates, granted bail to 24 while 37 others were convicted.

Abdulrahaman, who headed a committee on prerogative of mercy, freed the inmates on Friday at Yolde Pate Correctional Centre in the state.

The custodial centre had earlier presented 182 awaiting trial for review, out of which 37 were convicted.

Those with minor cases discharged which were non-custodians were asked to carry out community services to serve as a deterrent to others.

Yolde Pate Custodial Centre, constructed to accommodate 800 inmates, had 665 of them on awaiting trial list; 185 convicts with 10 on life imprisonment and 16 on death row.

One of the inmates, Mrs Saraya Silma, who spent 10 years over defamation of character, thanked the committee for tampering justice with mercy.

Silma explained that she was accused of witchcraft, an allegation that was unfounded and unsubstantiated by the complainant.

The chief judge equally donated N12,000 as transport fare to each of the freed inmates.

She urged them to take their freedom as divine intervention as well as an opportunity for them to mend their ways and lead a worthy lifestyle.

Mr Dominic David, who spoke on behalf of the freed inmates, promised that they would be good citizens as they unite again with the larger society.

The committee however exempted cases associated with murder, theft, culpable homicide and kidnapping from pardon across all the custodial centres in the state.