The Kaduna State Chief judge, Justice Tanimu Zailani, has freed 95 inmates in the Kaduna Convict Prison awaiting trial, warning them to “go and sin no more”.
The Chief Judge released the inmates during a working visit by the State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to the detention facility in the state capital.
Justice Zailani said the gesture was aimed at decongesting the prisons and releasing some inmates who had been awaiting trial for many years.
On arrival at the prisons, the Governor inspected a guard mounted in his honour by the Prison Armed Squad.
The Kaduna Convict Prison established in 1915, with a capacity to house only 547 inmates, is being over stretched, as it currently accommodates over 1000 inmates. Out of this number, 114 are condemned criminals with 11 of them, including a woman, indigenes of Kaduna State.
The 95 inmates are mainly those on awaiting trial list and most of them have stayed between five to nine five years in detention without conviction.
They were released by the Chief Judge, as part of efforts to decongest the prisons and in line with the powers conferred on him under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act CAP C40, 2007, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
In his address, Governor Nasir El-Rufai said the President Muhammad Buhari’s administration was determined to decongest prisons across the country to ensure a crime free society.
El-Rufai described as mere injustice, the practice of keeping awaiting trial inmates on minor offenses in the prison for a long time.
He said the All Progressives Congress’ administration in the state would strive to improve the skill and vocational training of inmates within and outside the prison.
This, he said, would lead to creation of jobs and reduction of the rate of crimes in the state.
In his address, the State Controller of Prisons, Abubakar Garba, briefed the Governor on the challenges confronting the detention facility which include lack of operational vehicles to convey inmates to court and inadequate vocational training materials among others.
The visit of the Governor to Kaduna prisons was rounded up with a drama presentation by some of the freed inmates to illustrate their positive change in character and behaviour.