The Katsina State Government has defended its plan to release 70 suspected bandits standing trial for kidnappings and killings in the state, amid public outcries.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, said the decision was aimed at sustaining peace accords reached between affected communities and “repentant bandits.”
The commissioner stated this in an interview on Saturday with DCL Hausa, following a leaked government letter seeking judicial intervention to secure the release of the suspects currently undergoing prosecution.
He said the peace agreements had resulted in the release of about 1,000 abducted persons across several communities.
According to the commissioner, at least 15 local government areas were involved in the peace arrangement, which, he said, had led to the release of about 1,000 abductees.
Muazu likened the release of the suspects to what happens during wartime where warring parties exchange prisoners.
The letter, first reported by Sahara Reporters, was issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Justice and addressed to the Chief Judge of the state, requesting the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release of the suspects.
The letter, which was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, stated that a list of 48 suspects accused of various banditry-related offences had been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.
The ministry said the proposed release was to serve as “one of the conditions precedents for the continuance of the peace accord deal signed between the frontline local governments and the bandits.”
The letter also stated that while some of the suspects had been arraigned before the Federal High Court, most of them were still being held at various magistrates’ courts across the state awaiting trial.
Another list of about 22 inmates facing trial before different high courts in Katsina State was also submitted for possible release under the same peace arrangement.
The ministry called on the Chief Judge of the state to take “necessary action,” citing Section 371(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Katsina State, 2021, which outlines the powers of the Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee.
Muazu, while defending the move for the release of the 70 bandits, said the peace deal had yielded measurable results, particularly in the release of abducted persons.
He cited figures of the released abductees from several local government areas as including Sabuwa (310), Bakori (125), Danmusa (60), Dutsinma (62) and Safana (36).
The commissioner stated that neither the Ministry of Justice nor the courts had violated any existing laws, saying anyone dissatisfied with the decision was free to seek legal redress.
“All over the world, after wars, prisoner exchanges usually take place. During Nigeria’s civil war, prisoners were exchanged, just as it happened in negotiations involving Boko Haram.
“The issue is not whether an offence was committed or not, but ensuring peace. Prisoners’ exchange is not a new thing in the history of war and peace,” he said.
Credit: Daily Trust
