By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
About six Months after, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is yet to react tothe recent exclusion of Christians from the amnesty granted to prison inmate in Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Kaduna state command.
Both Caleb Ma’aji led Kaduna State CAN and 19 Northern States CAN are yet to make a pronouncement when contacted, about the October/November 2023 amnesty granted to Kaduna inmates in which all the 25 beneficiaries were Muslims.
But official of CAN Kaduna North local government, particularly the chairman, said the decision to respond to such matter is not something that could be taken by one person alone,l he however assured that there’ll be a response.
Recalled that the amnesty was granted to prison inmates in Kaduna command of NCS around October/November 2023 under the administration of Governor Uba Sani, but all the beneficiaries were Muslims only.
The lists of 20 Christians later comped and submitted were ignored and excluded from the amnesty which raised tension among prison inmates within the prison premises circle.
It was revealed that the 25 lists of Muslims prison inmates given the amnesty were compiled inside a mosque. “They’re about 25 of them, that is what I got, I may not be exact. They were released in October- November 2023, by the Governor…..
Notable among the Muslims beneficiaries of the amnesty includes Ibrahim Mustapha jailed for alleged impersonating a Medical Doctor in Yola; Ibrahim Umar an INEC official from Adamawa State accused of taking over N300m from Dizzani the former Petroleum Minister, and Inman Shagari who was the General Imam for the inmates in Prison amongst other Muslims, to mention but few.
However, a source said, Governor Sani was not pleased upon learning that all the beneficiaries of the amnesty were Muslims from same faith, at the detriment of some Christian counterpart, as the lists was reportedly complied inside mosque.
It was also gathered that after several complaints in prison that Governor Uba Sani favoured only the Muslims, the church in prison was directed by the then commissioner of Police Kaduna prison, to write their members list which was complied, but later abandon, as no action was taken by the Governor till date.
Prison insider source said, the church lists was engineered due to situation reports of angry Christian by concerned prison officers about the security of the prison, which promoted them to asked the Deputy Commissioner in prison to asked Church to also write its own lists.
According to prison sources Governor El-Rufai gave a lots of Christians amnesty with just a simple ailment during his time. “I wonder why Governor Sani do this”, the source lamented.
“That was how church lists was compiled, and 20 was selected from the over 80 names, with promises by prison Chief of Staff that action will be expedited on it since last year around October/November, but nothing came out of it till date”, the source stated.
