The Kano State Government has commenced efforts to decongest custodial centres across the state following an assessment of inmates’ conditions and the challenges affecting their rehabilitation and reintegration.
The initiative is being implemented by the Kano State Council for Prerogative of Mercy in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), with the committee visiting selected custodial centres across the state.
The Chairperson of the council, Hajiya Azumi Bebeji, who led the visits, said the committee interacted with inmates and reviewed issues affecting their welfare, rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into society.
She said the inmates raised several concerns and appealed for government intervention in areas affecting their welfare and conditions of detention.
Bebeji assured the inmates that their concerns had been noted and would be considered within the available resources and the relevant legal framework.
She also reaffirmed the compassionate disposition of the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Yusuf, urging the inmates to remain hopeful and continue to pray for the administration.
The Controller of Corrections, Kano State Command, CC Ahmed Lakpene, commended the committee for its intervention, describing the exercise as a significant step towards reducing congestion and improving conditions in custodial centres.
Lakpene said the initiative was consistent with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, which prioritises humane custody, rehabilitation, reformation and the successful reintegration of inmates into society.
He pledged the command’s continued collaboration with the Kano State Government, the Council for Prerogative of Mercy and other stakeholders to promote safer, more humane and rehabilitation-focused custodial facilities across the state.
