As part of activities to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day, Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has granted state and partial pardons to 66 inmates serving various prison terms at the Maiduguri Maximum Custodial Centre.
This was made known in a statement issued by Zulum’s Media Aide, Dauda Iliya, which also indicated that the governor commuted death sentences to life imprisonment and reduced jail terms for other inmates.
Zulum stated that the decision followed recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy and pledged continued support for the inmates.
“Based on the powers conferred on me under Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, I hereby grant state and partial pardons to 66 inmates of the Maximum Custodial Centre.
“I have also commuted death sentences to life imprisonment and reduced the jail terms of some other inmates as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Democracy Day,” Zulum declared.
Gov Zulum further announced plans to strengthen the vocational training centre within the facility, providing intensive literacy, numeracy, and digital skills programmes for inmates, while urging the inmates to maintain good conduct and refrain from actions that could disrupt the peace and progress of the state.
The Controller of Borno State Correctional Service, Ahmed Bawa, commended the governor for his unprecedented support to the facility and its inmates, describing it as first of its kind.
300 bags of rice, 50 jerrycans of cooking oil and five cows, along with a cash gift of N20,000 to each of the 1,280 inmates to improve their living conditions were donated by the Governor.
