Bauchi Governor grants executive pardon to 153 inmates

Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has said that the justice system of the country must treat both the rich and the poor equally stressing that justice is blind and has no favourites.

The Governor also reiterated his commitment and that of his administration to ensuring speedy dispensation of criminal justice in order to see that just was served appropriately.

The Governor was speaking late Friday when he granted an executive pardon to 153 inmates selected from different Correctional Centres across the State who had been incarcerated for various infractions and could not afford to settle the various fine options given to them by the courts.

The fine options according to the Management of the Correctional Centers in the state ranged from N5000 to N10, 000.

While addressing the pardoned inmates at an occasion held at Government House, Bauchi, the Governor said that the decision to pardon them was informed by a careful review of their records by the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy confirmed their determination to become good citizens that would be useful to themselves and the society.

According to the Governor, part of the criteria adopted by the Committee in coming up with the list of pardoned convicts included old age, terminal sickness, convicts having less than three months to complete their jail term and those who were to pay their victims’ compensation of less than N30000.

Bala Mohammed also said that granting the pardon to the inmates was part of his administration’s resolve and determination to ensure the decongestion of correctional centres across the state.

He then promised that as the administration cares about the poorest and most vulnerable people, it will ensure total justice reforms for equity and justice for all.

According to him, “The granting of State pardoned to persons in jail has been provided for by the Nigerian Constitution. This, I believe, is borne out of the need to make the constitution as humanely as possible and relieve the inmates of the stress and trauma associated with being in jail”.

The Governor added ‘It is pursuant to the foregoing that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) has given me powers as the Chief Executive of the State to pardon inmates in Correctional Centres in the State.”

“Suffice it to say that the aforementioned powers are exercised after due consultation with and on the advice of the State Committee on Prerogative of mercy”, he added.

Bala Mohammed declared that ‘I have accordingly decided to pardon a total of 153 inmates serving various jail terms at Correctional Centres across the State. Similarly, the fines/penalties of the affected inmates have been wholly settled/off-set to facilitate their immediate release from the correctional centres.”

He expressed optimism saying, “I strongly believe that as an administration, we should not criminalize poverty by putting offenders into jail for many years, just because they could not pay fines or compensation of as little as N5000.00. Poverty should not be a crime. Our justice system must treat both the rich and poor equally.”

He assured that “My administration has recognized that accessing justice can often be an expensive process fraught with barriers and delays. From investigation to appeal, money is required.”

He also said ‘If you are poor, it is hard to either pursue the constitutional rights that you are entitled to as citizens of this state and this nation or to defend yourself against allegations”.

According to the Governor, “This issue has been further exacerbated by the fact that legal aid schemes and ‘probono’ legal service provided by NGOs, lawyers and well-to-do citizens to enhance access to justice in many places is no longer available in most places in Nigeria.”

The Governor announced the donation of the sum of N50,000 to each of the 153 freed inmates to start a business for self-reliance, calling on them to henceforth, be law-abiding citizens by taking the advantage of the various empowerment windows provided by his administration for poverty alleviation.

Bala Mohammed further directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to work with the Judiciary and other law enforcement agencies to propose a Committee that will comprehensively examine the system of administration of justice and make policy reform proposals that will enhance the administration of civil and criminal justice system in the state.

On his part, the Controller of the Bauchi State Correctional Service, Aliyu Abubakar Bagoja described the pardon of the inmates as the best way of reducing decongestion in correctional centres.

He said that the number of the Governor’s executive pardons is one of the largest in the country.

The Controller then appreciated the support of the state government to the Service in the state appealing to the Governor to support the Centres by equipping its Vocational and Technical units for the training of inmates on different skills.

In their separate remarks, the State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar and the Chairman of the State Council on the prerogative of mercy, Barrister Abubakar Abdulhamid Bununu who is the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of the state, called on the inmates to reciprocate the effort by avoiding anti-social behaviour when they reunite with their families.

Speaking on behalf of the released inmates, Sa’idu Adamu Giade expressed delight for the freedom granted them and pledged to be law-abiding citizens at all times.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE