The Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, on Monday, paid the debts, fines and compensations of forty-five prison inmates, culminating in their immediate freedom.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Bashir Rabe Mani and issued to newsmen in Sokoto.
According to the statement, the annual gesture of Senator Wamakko was extended to the beneficiaries under the Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko Free Legal Services Foundation.
The Coordinator of the Foundation, Barrister Abdulhamid Zubairu disclosed that, out of the 45 freed inmates, five were women, seven were juveniles, while the rest were from the Sokoto Central Prison.
He said that, under the gesture which gulped millions of naira, the minimum fine settled was N 60,000, while the maximum was N 230,000.
Barrister Zubairu further explained that the gesture was aimed at enabling the beneficiaries to celebrate the Eid-el Fitr with their respective families, as well as to help in decongesting the prisons.
He further admonished the beneficiaries to steer clear of any acts capable of taking them back to the prisons.
Also addressing the freed inmates, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Sokoto State Chapter, Barrister Lema Wali, advised them to be of good conduct, be law-abiding and respectful to their various families.
A cross section of the lucky inmates lauded Senator Wamakko for the invaluable gesture and vowed never to engage in any acts capable of throwing them back to the prisons.
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