Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State at an executive pardon ceremony in Bauchi, announced the granting of pardon to 153 prisoners who are serving jail terms at different correctional facilities for committing minor offences. Governor Bala Mohammed explained that the executive pardon was enforced after due consultations with the State Council on the Prerogative of Mercy. He disclosed the disbursement of N7.6 million for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the pardoned prisoners.
Governor Mohammed said that each of the 153 freed prisoners would receive N50,000, from the total intervention fund of N7.6 million as startup capital, to enable them start up small businesses in their communities. He added that the state government has paid off the fines and penalties the court imposed on the freed inmates.
Governor Mohammed had stated: “We are providing each and every freed inmate the sum of N50,000 to start a small business with a view to making them self-reliant.
“We believe that empowering the poor economically is one of the best ways to ensure peace, security and crime prevention.
“Similarly, the fines and penalties of the affected inmates have been fully settled to facilitate their immediate release from the various correctional services.”
The governor noted that he paid the fines and penalties from his personal purse., saying that the fines were in the range of N5,000 and N30,000. He disclosed that the total amount of the fines and penalties of the freed prisoners was N1.2 million, paid from his pocket.
According to Governor Mohammed, “That is why it is easy for any public spirited individual to pay because all their fines range from N5,000, N8,000, N10,000 and the highest being N30,000. This is very incredible.
“The men that I will be pardoning today, are of no use to their society if they are left languishing alongside hardened criminals.
“I will be pardoning them with the expectation that they would go back and be an asset to their communities and work to support their families, our beloved state and nation.”
The governor urged the pardoned prisoners to henceforth, be law abiding citizens and engage in legitimate activities by taking advantage of the various empowerment windows provided by his administration.
The Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Umar, had emphasised that executive pardon is the exclusive power of the governor.
She added that the gesture would go a long way in decongesting the correctional facilities in the state.