Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has appealed to Nigerians to stop stigmatising inmates who are set free or have completed their terms.
Speaking at the Jalingo Medium Security Correctional Centre during the official release of 20 inmates whose fines and compensation were paid by the government, the minister urged the society to assist freed inmates to resettle back to their various communities.
A Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr Garba Mohammed, who represented the minister on the occasion appealed to the freed inmates to go and establish the trades they learnt at the correctional centre and shun crime in all ramifications.
He disclosed that over 4000 inmates would regain their freedom across the country as part of efforts to decongest the correctional centres, saying the decision was solely the initiative of the minister.
Besides, he revealed that the minister had made provision for the freed inmates to be given N10,000 each for transportation back to their various homes and communities.
He tasked the Taraba state government and other well-meaning individuals to take a cue from the minister and endeavour to pay the fines and compensations of inmates.
“There are people who were brought here because they could not pay fines of less than N1,000 and are languishing in jail,” he lamented.
He admonished the freed inmates to be good ambassadors of the correctional centre and be of good conduct wherever they find themselves, saying their coming to the centre was to be reformed and be better persons.
The Chief Judge of Taraba state, Justice Filibus Agya who was represented by the Chief Registrar, Bartholomew Kaigama, commended the minister for the gesture and expressed the readiness of the state judiciary to collaborate with the ministry of interior to decongest correctional centres in the state.
“This is a commendable effort and we’re ready to collaborate with the minister to decongest correctional centres in the state. We started the process in 2022 and we’ll support any initiative in that regard,” he noted.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Controller of Correctional Services in the state, Mr Emmanuel Okoro, noted that the exercise was the first of its kind in the country.
He stated that the minister had offered to pay the fines and compensations of inmates from N1 million and below, saying a total of 153 inmates from the various correctional centres in the state will benefit from the programme.
