Bauchi State Reviews Fate Of Prison Inmates On Amputation And Stoning Sentences

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Inmates sentenced to amputation of limbs or stoning to death under the Sharia Legal system in Bauchi State are expected to know their fate for possible review soon.

Already, a team of lawyers have been put together to study their cases with a view to fashioning out appropriate legal avenues that will bring to an end their prolonged incarceration.

This was made known on Thursday by the Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi T. Umar when the Controller of Prisons Bauchi State Command, CP Sulaiman T Sulaiman paid her an official visit.

Justice Umar said she is aware of the increasing number of such cases in the Prisons of the State, noting that some of them have already spent over 13 years without having their sentences executed.

The Bauchi Chief judge assured that she will soon meet the State Governor on the matter and expressed satisfaction over the good working relationship between the Nigerian Prisons Service and the State judiciary.

She assured that before the end of 2017, she will visit the Prisons in the state as her 3rd quarter jail delivery exercise.
Earlier, the Controller of Prisons Bauchi State Command, Sulaiman T Sulaiman said the purpose of his visit is to introduce himself to the Chief Judge having assumed duty recently in the state.

Suleiman said there are 10 inmates with cases of amputation and six others on death row by stoning languishing in the Prisons for over a decade.

He said he has since written to the Bauchi State Governor calling his attention to the plight of the affected inmates hoping that their cases will soon be determined.
He applauded the State Chief Judge for her frequent visits to Prisons in the state through the administration of Criminal Justice committee which he noted is helping the prisons towards inmates decongestion.