16th August, 2014
The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, on Friday, granted pardon to 27 inmates awaiting trial in four federal prisons in the state.
The chief judge announced the pardon when he visited Nasarawa Prison as part of his tour to decongest prisons in the state.
NAN reports that the four federal prisons in the state are in Lafia, Keffi, Nasarawa and Wamba.
Those released were Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Gide, Augustine Samuel, Sarki Ja’afaru, Theophilus Ogu, Benjamin Gabriel, Monday Joseph, Tame Onande, Bala Usman and Usman Bala from Lafia Prison.
Also released were Mohammed Isa, Tergu Gungur, Haruna Saidu, Emeka Obi, Ya’u Musa, Uba Kwase, Solomon Dauda, Saminu Yusuf, Godwin Michael, Ruben Ishaya, Hassan Maishanu and Emmanuel Benjamin from Keffi Prisons.
“My decision to discharge the inmates is in line the relevant laws which empowers me to decongest prisons in the state.”
He also urged police prosecutors to reduce the numbers of witnesses to be presented to testify before the court in order to ensure speedy administration of justice in the state.
Dikko, therefore, advised those released not to commit any crime that would bring them back to prison and urged them to exhibit good character that is acceptable in the society.