Prisoners revolt: Gov El-Rufai approves N24m for renovation

Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has approved N24 milion for the renovation of portions of the Zaria prisons destroyed by inmates during a revolt three months ago.

Alhaji AbubakaR Gada,, Controller, Kaduna State Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service, who disclosed this on Monday in Kaduna, said that the renovation had already reached 95 per cent completion.

He said the governor, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, has also approved the setting up of junior and senior secondary schools, as well as skill acquisition centres, inside the prisons.

He said that the pilot scheme of the secondary schools would would commence “very soon” in the Kaduna prisons.

“We hope that by next year, the pilot scheme will reach other prison formations across Kaduna state,” he said.

On the inmates that that El-Rufai’s pardoned, Garba said that the governor,on the advice of the advisory committee, decided to release 14 prisoners from Kaduna prison.

“Five of the 14 prisoners condemned convicts, while three ad their sentence commutted to 15 years imprisonment, two had their sentence commutted to 10 years imprisonment.

“The Governor exercised his powers under section 212, sub-section (1c) as amended, to release the prisoners,” he said.

One of the condemned inmates, who secured a waiver from the death sentence for committing armed robbery, Oyewole Ajibola, however expressed mixed feelings over the gesture.

Ajibola, 45, said he was happy with the reduction of his punishment from death sentence to 15 years imprisonment, but demanded more mercy.