Just In: Governor Ganduje frees 294 inmates over covid-19

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has granted freedom to 294 CC inmates in the state in a moved largely influenced by the need to decongest the facilities due to covid-19.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, on Sunday, Ganduje said the gesture was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari's directive to governors to "decongest correctional centres to help observe COVID-19’s social distancing protocol."


It said that Ganduje witnessed the release of the inmates from the correctional centre at Goron Dutse on Sunday, and quoted him as declaring that the gesture was in the spirit of Eid-El Fitr.

“The governor also said that the gesture was to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to further reduce congestion in the nation’s correctional centres.

“Ganduje also recalled that President Muhammadu Buhar‎i had directed governors to decongest correctional centres to help observe COVID-19’s social distancing protocol.



“It is based on that directive that in the last two months the state has released 603 inmates. The goal is to decongest Correctional Centres. We hope that they will be of good character henceforth,” the statement said.

It said that the governor also gave each of the freed inmates N5,000 as transport fare to their destinations.


The statement quoted the Controller of Prisons, Abdullahi Magaji, as commending Ganduje for donating 30 hectares of land to the Federal Government for the construction of a modern Correctional Centre.

Magaji also advised the freed inmates to be of good character and stay off crimes to avoid going back to prison.