The Kebbi State Government has commenced the process of decongesting prisons in the state following the approval of the excercise by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in line with the directive from the federal government to decongest prisons so as to protect inmates from contracting the dreaded coronavirus disease.
The excercise started on Tuesday with compilation of the names of the inmates and subsequent release of the prisoners. Kebbi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ramatu Adamu Augie made this known during the release of about one hundred and eleven inmates performed by the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Sulaiman Muhammad Ambursa at Argungu and Birnin kebbi new and Old Correctional Service Centres.
The commissioner further announced that the state government has paid fines of the inmates in addition to giving them ten thousand naira each to cater for transportation back to their respective destinations.
She advised the freed inmates to be of good character at all times as they rejoin their communities. Speaking earlier, the State Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Muhammad said some of the inmates who regained their freedom fell under presidential pardon while the remaining ones were either discharged fully or were released on administrative bail.
He called on those who have not benefitted from the gesture to exercise patience and should pray for their inclusion in subsequent exercises. The excercise will continue at other Correctional Service Centers in Yauri , Zuru, Jega and Bagudo local government areas where more inmates are expected to be granted pardon and set free. Meanhile the government has refuted reports that it has designated the NYSC camp at Dakingari, as an Isolation camp for the Covid-19 suspected patients.
“This is not only mischievous and misleading, but an attempt to down play the efforts of the government in it’s dogged sustained determination to curtail the spread of the dreaded disease.” It is also worthy of note that, the designation of NYSC camps, nation-wide, as Isolation camps is the decision of the federal government.”
However, to set the records straight, the state government, through the Task Force on Covid -19, had since designated the Kalgo Medical Center as an Isolation camp and its fully functional Intensive Care Unit (ICU), at the hospital, for all centers of Covid -19 ,” the government said in a statement circulated by Yahaya Sarki, the Special Adviser (SA) Media to Kebbi State Government.
The Task Force has also identified and dedicated a Ward at the Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kebbi and Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, also in Birnin Kebbi, as additional facilities for Covid -19.
A statement by the Chairman of the Kebbi State Task Force on Covid-19, Jafar Muhammed (Clean) advised that, all enquiries, querries and information should be directed to the committee instead of resorting to the deliberate and malicious dissemination of falsehood and fake news. The statement further explained that, the visit to the NYSC camp by the Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Aliyu Bello Kaliel was just an oversight visit, to assess the condition of the camp, but not as an isolation centre for Covid -19.
Daily Trust