In the spirit of Eid-el-Kabir Sallah celebration, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has on Friday pardoned 29 inmates with minor offences across the custodial centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NSC, in the state.
Speaking during a brief ceremony to set the inmates free, Governor Ganduje said the inmates were pardoned in accordance with directives of President Muhammadu Buhari to state governments to decongest the custodial centres and also ensure compliance to protocols of covid-19.
The Governor called on the inmates to turn a new leaf and not to go back to their old way of life sighting instance with a female inmate, Jennifer Okafor who was one of the lucky inmates freed previously, now named Jennifer Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who is now gainfully employed.
According to him, “I called upon you (those freed today) to be good citizens, to be born again, to repent, to promise and to be committed to being good citizens of Nigeria. To go back to your homes and be part of the vanguard for socio-economic of our country.
“The last time we visited the prison to pardon some inmates, we preach to the inmates and those freed to be good citizens and joined the rest of the society. I am happy to see one of those released, Jennifer Okafor who is now Jennifer Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“During that time, we preached to them including her (Jennifer) to be born again, I believe she is now a born again. Because she said we have saved her, took her out of prison and gave her employment and now she is a happy citizen not only for Kano but Nigeria.
“We want to inform you that Kano is a megacity and a mini Nigeria. We do our policies irrespective of tribal or religious affiliation. When we released them, we didn’t consider their tribe or religion or geographic location,” Ganduje said.
Earlier and shortly after performing the two Rakat Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Kofar-Mata praying ground, Ganduje called on the residents to pray fervently and seek the divine intervention of God to overcome the covid-19 pandemic and insecurity menace.
Similarly, in his sermon, the Chief Imam of Kano, Professor Sani Zahradeen, urged Muslims faithful to pray for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic and insecurity in the country.
