From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
Kebbi State Chief Judge, Elizabeth Asabe Karatu, on Wednesday, set free 29 inmates and granted 15 others bail in Birnin-Kebbi Prison as part of measures to decongest the prison in the state.
Among inmates the that regained their freedom, on Wednesday, were 23 males and six females.
While addressing inmates after she had selected few for pardon, CJ Karatu charged others who are still awaiting trial, serving their jail terms, to comply with the efforts of Nigeria Prison Services to reform them to be good citizens.
” Your incarceration in prison does not mean you are outside the society. No, you are within the society. Those of you that are found guilty, that is why we are here. We come here to review your cases. Those of you that are facing prosecution, you must face your prosecution in the Courts. Please, and please, try to get yourselves reform.
” The essence of incarceration here is not to create additional burden on you. It is to let reflect about your past, what have you done in the past, and think deeply how you can change so that when you leave here, you will not go back to the similar crimes that brought you here .
“Please, change your system and I pray Almighty Allah will change and all of us to be good citizens of this country”.
While condemning Prisons Congestion, Comptroller of Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), Kebbi State, Sani Adamu Potiskum accused Investigation Police Officers ( IPO) for not doing effective work stressed that many accused persons are in prison for many years without receiving judgements on their offences.
Potiskum threatened that if they are not effective, the NPS would be forced to report them to judiciary on any accused persons standing trials for more than three weeks and kept in the prisons.