By Abdallah el-Kurebe
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko on Wednesday secured the freedom of sixty four inmates after releasing N6 million for the payment of various fines, compensation and debts levied against them by the Courts.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bashir Rabe Mani said the inmates, including included a woman, were serving various jail terms in Sokoto Central Prison and Wurno, Tambuwal, Gwadabawa and Bissalam Satellite prisons.
Released under the Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko Free Legal Services Foundation, each of the inmates also received the sum of N10,000 as transport fare to enable them get to their respective towns and villages.
Addressing the freed inmates through the Secretary of the Foundation, Barrister Abdulhameed Zubairu, Wamakko said that the gesture was in a bid to ameliorate the suffering of the people in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
He added that the action would fast-track prisons decongestion as well as facilitate the smooth administration of justice.
Wamakko admonished the freed inmates to be of good behaviours and see their incarceration as an act ordained by the Almighty Allah.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Lema Sambo Wali, represented by its Secretary, Barrister Kabiru Muhammad lauded Senator Wamakko for the invaluable gesture.
The NBA Chairman also urged other wealthy individuals to emulate Wamakko.
A Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Barrister Shafi’u Shehu Auta described Wamakko’s gesture as unparalleled.
The Chief Wali of the State Shari’a Court of Appeal, Alhaji Buhari Yahayya appealed to the beneficiaries to shun crimes, to avoid going back to the prison.
A renowned private Legal Practitioner, Mr Solomon Alimosonya averred that,the gesture would really help in decongesting prisons.
He urged them to pursue both Islamic and western education, even as he described Senator Wamakko as , ” a man who has a big heart for the less privileged people in his heart .”
Spokesmen of the freed inmates, Abubakar Zaidi from Sokoto city and Rahman Osayemi from Ibadan, both commended Senator Wamakko for the gesture and promised to steer clear of all acts capable of bringing them back to the prison.
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