As part of efforts to decongest the correctional facilities across the country and curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the federal government on Thursday granted amnesty to 2,600 prison inmates.
Out of the two thousand six hundred (2,600) lucky inmates, seventy (70) who fall within the age bracket of sixty years old and above; those suffering from ill-health and have terminal diseases; convicts serving three years and above and have less than six months to serve and those with mental issues including inmates with an option of fine not exceeding fifty thousand naira (N50,000) will breathe the air of freedom on Thursday.
The good news was delivered by the minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola while addressing a Press conference at the headquarters of the Correctional Service in Abuja.
The development according to the federal government became necessary to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus in the country
“In a symbolic gesture of the amnesty given to the 2,600 inmates across Nigeria, 41 Federal inmates and 29 FCT inmates making a total of 70 inmates who met the above criteria will be released today from the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja”. Aregbesola said.
“This amnesty will not apply to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and so on.
“The Governors of the S6 states under whose jurisdiction most of the inmates were incarcerated will complete the exercise in line with the federal principle.”
