Sallah: Matawalle grants amnesty to 150 prisoners in Zamfara

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has granted amnesty to 150 inmates of the Gusau Maximum Security Prisons, a statement by Yusuf Idris, his Director-General, Press Affairs, said on Saturday in Gusau.

The statement made available to newsmen said that those freed included five persons serving life terms.

It added that five condemned prisoners, 30 convicts, 60 awaiting trial inmates and nine nursing mothers were among those freed.

Others included 41 persons freed because they could memorise the Holy Qur’an, those living with some form of disability, the aged and those who had spent more than 20 years without trial.

The statement quoted Matawalle as advising the freed persons to consider their renewed freedom as an act of God and also see their time in prison as an opportunity to make them better persons.

It said that the governor also donated five cows, 100 bags of rice, five rams, some drugs and other food ingredients to the remaining inmates to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.

Our correspondent quotes the Zamfara Chief Judge, Justice Mukhtar Yushau, as saying at the occasion that granting amnesty to the inmates was a prerogative power vested on the governor which he exercised.

It further quoted Yushau as advising the released inmates to denounce their sins and become better persons.