The Chairman of the Dutse Local Government Council of Jigawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Yakubu, on Thursday, said the council had facilitated the release of seven inmates from the Dutse Satellite prison.
Yakubu told newsmen in Dutse that the release followed his visit to the prison and the payment of N850,000 being fines for their various offences.
“Today, we visited Dutse satellite prison where we paid N850,000 to effect the release of seven inmates with minor offences.
“As I speak with you, they have been released, and we celebrate with them.
“We also gave all of them transport fares to go home and reunite with their respective families.
“We also counselled them not allow themselves to be pushed back to such crimes that landed them in the prison,” he said.
Yakubu pleaded with the victims’ families, relatives and friends not to stigmatise them so as not to push them back to their old ways.
“This is because most of them are drug abusers, while others were there for one minor crime or the other.
“So it is important for families, friends and communities to show love and care, as well as offer encouragement to the freed inmates, for them to feel secure and quickly reintegrate them into the society,’’ he said.
Yakubu, however, identified lack of family care, the influence of peer groups and unemployment as some of the factors responsible for drug abuse among youth.
He expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would be of good characters.
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