Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has granted pardon to 113 inmates at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The pardon was announced by the attorney general and commissioner for justice, Barrister Nasiru Binji, on behalf of the governor. He explained that the gesture was based on Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“Of the 113 pardoned inmates, 67 were released unconditionally, while the death sentences of 22 inmates were commuted to life imprisonment.
“22 inmates serving life sentences had their terms reduced to 25 years, and two others had their sentences reduced by two years.”
Governor Aliyu encouraged the released inmates to become model citizens as they reintegrate into society.
“The change in behaviour you have acquired here should remain a priority as you return home. Ensure your life is different from when you arrived, and do not allow yourselves to return to this place,” he advised.
To support their reintegration, Aliyu also announced a donation of N50,000 to each of the 67 released inmates to help them start afresh.
In his remarks, the Sokoto State Controller of Correctional Services, Mr Lawal Gusau, thanked the governor for his generous initiative, noting that it would support ongoing efforts to decongest correctional centres across the country.
