RUTH DAVID, Bauchi
The Bauchi Human Rights Network (BHN), a network of various non-governmental organizations in the state, has facilitated the release of 15 inmates serving various jail terms in the Bauchi Prisons.
Addressing the freed prisoners in the presence of Prisons officials, coordinator of the group, Mr Sylvester Yibis, said the project was the brain-child of over 45 different NGOs under the network.
He explained that the BHN decided to embark on the project basically to address the problem of the rising physical and psychological torture of suspects and inmates.
According to him: ”Physical torture is normally found in detention centres of police stations within the first to three hours of arrests. It is almost hell for suspects most of whom are tortured in a bid to squeeze information from them. Psychological torture on the other hand is when inmates are remanded in prison custody for so many years while they await trial.”
The Coordinator added that the network was collaborating with other organisations within and outside the state to ensure that the ex-prisoners were trained on vocational skills that would make them self reliant and not to return to crime.
Also, the BHN, he said, is collaborating with the police and other security agencies to explore the possibilities of ensuring that the torture of suspects was completely eliminated in all centres where suspects are detained.
The inmates who regained their freedom were given N500 each as transport fare to go to their homes in order not to be stranded. They were serving light sentences ranging from one year to three months for committing crimes such as stealing, impersonation, and wandering, among others.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of those who regained his freedom, Bilal Abubakar, who said he was convicted by the court for stealing from his neighbour, was sentenced to five months imprisonment. “Today I am shocked but happy that I am going home to see my parents and my siblings. I couldn’t believe it. I want to thank this organisation for the privilege and I promise not to steal again.”
Isa Yashi who is the Deputy Chief Inspector of the Bauchi Prisons in his response, commended the group, saying the N500 transport fare given to the ex-prisoners would go a long way in ensuring that the ex-convicts were not stranded as they return to their families.
Yashi who spoke on behalf of the State Controller of the Nigeria Prisons Service also lauded the network for drawing up plans to ensure that the beneficiaries were self-reliant saying it would go a long way in impacting positively on their lives, the society and their families.
