Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has pardoned no fewer than 80 inmates across various correctional centres in the state.
The governor decided to commemorate the occasion of the 2023 Democracy Day in this gesture, said the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Minna, the state capital, Usman noted that Bago also approved the immediate payment of the inmates’ fines to enable them to rejoin their families.
He explained that the release of the inmates was in line with the prerogative of mercy granted to the governor by the Constitution.
Usman said that the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy recommended the release of the 80 inmates based on old age, ill health and good behaviour.
He, however, appealed to the inmates to make use of the opportunity to engage in useful ventures and shun any act that could lead them back to prison. He also admonished them to be law-abiding and engage in legitimate endeavours by taking advantage of various empowerment windows.
While felicitating with Nigerians on the Democracy Day event, the SSG urged Niger State citizens to use the period to reflect on their roles in peace-building and support for good governance.
Quoting the governor, Usman urged them to support the programmes and policies of the administration designed to bring rapid development to the state.
He also reassured that the government would ensure that the dividends of democracy were felt in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
He urged the people of the state not to allow despondency to replace hope, adding that they should renew their commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and imbibing tolerance, patriotism and discipline.
The SSG said the government was very concerned about the security challenges in the state and fully prepared to tackle the situation.
