Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has pardoned sixty inmates from the custodial centre of the Nigeria correctional service in the state.
Sule explained that the kind gesture was to mark the governor’s 60th birthday and a step towards decongesting custodial centres in the state.
15 inmates were granted mercy and fines settled for 45 of them selected from all the custodial centres in the state bringing the number to 60.
Speaking in this regards, the state Attorney General, Barrister Abdulkareem Kana, said that Nasarawa State government is already working towards decongesting custodial centres across the state.
“The governor craves the indulgence of the chief judge of the state to grant bail that merits the condition so that together, the executive and the judiciary will ensure that the state custodial centres contain only those that deserve to remain,” he said.
The governor who led a delegation to the Lafia custodial centre was showered with felicitations which were wrapped with the challenges bedevilling the centre.
Abdullahi Salihu, Deputy Controller, Lafia Custodial Centre listed their plights in this order, “This custodial centre depends solely on boreholes which were donated to us by the state government over twenty years ago, the overhead tank of our reservoir is old, rusted and leaking and needs replacement while the generator powering the borehole is weak and needs replacement too. If one pays a visit to this place at night, it will be so dark as most of the cells are powered by the Solar lighting system which has gone bad two years ago and our cries for repairs have not been heard yet.
“The septic tank is overflowing and it’s always a source of conflict between us and our neighbors. We have only two vehicles to convey inmates to the courts which are grossly inadequate.”.
Happy with the warm reception, the governor Abdullahi Sule gave an immediate order to concerned bodies in that regard.
“I am going to give a mandate to the urban development board immediately to come and fix it, they should also do same to the suck away because it is going to be a catastrophe not just for you but the families surrounded here and this is a period where we are battling with the issues of sanitation.
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“I will ask the Chairman of Lafia local government to replicate the installation of solar panels here and the same with chairmen of Nasarawa, Wamba, and Keffi so that they can provide solar power in all the centres that we have.”
From the Lafia custodial centre, the Governor led his delegation to the Nasarawa State children’s home where he shared moments with the orphans.
He reiterated his plan is to improve the lots of his people particularly the vulnerable ones even away from celebrations.
