Sokoto State Government on Sunday paid N2 million fines on behalf of 20 inmates to enable the offenders regain their freedom from prison.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of the freed inmates of Sokoto Central Prison also received N2,000 as transport money from the state government.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal said that the gesture was part of his administration’s efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the beneficiaries.

Tambuwal, who was represented by the Commissioner of Rural Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu, warned the freed inmates against involvement in any acts capable of taking them back to prison.

Tambuwal said: “You should go back to school or get involved in meaningful ventures, to be useful to ourselves and the society.”

Speaking at the occasion, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Mani Maishinko, said that the gesture was part of the of the state government’s responsibilities to its citizens.

One of the freed inmates, Bello Umar, commended the state government for the gesture, promising to be good citizens henceforth.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that 70 per cent of inmates in prisons across the country are awaiting trial.

They noted that prisons in six states visited in their last exercise, a compilation of reports from previous visits informed the commission of the current situation.

“It was found that there were 240 prison institutions spread across Nigeria as follows: 138 main prisons, 85 satellites, 14 Farm Centres, and 3 borstal institutions

“That the prisons have 268 vehicles serving various prisons that serve 5022 courts in the 774 Local Government Areas.

“The total prison population in Nigeria is 56,718, comprising – 17,686 convicts (4,000 lifers; 1,612 condemned convicts) and 39,032 Awaiting Trial Persons. (NAN)

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