Zamfara senator facilitates release of 41 constituents jailed in Oyo
The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, has sought the release of 41 indigenes of his state who were jailed for illegal mining in Oyo State. Those released were said to be part of some inmates recently offered presidential pardon and clemency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They were released on Friday from Agodi […]
The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, has sought the release of 41 indigenes of his state who were jailed for illegal mining in Oyo State.
Those released were said to be part of some inmates recently offered presidential pardon and clemency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They were released on Friday from Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, after spending a year in custody and were handed over to the senator, who promised to check their health status before handing them over to their families.
Narrating their ordeals, one of the released persons, Zahraddeen Tsafe, said they were arrested and convicted without being told of their offence.
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Tsafe said, “We were in the communities carrying out our mining business, then we were invited by the security that we should go to Ibadan to answer some questions, so we said no problem since we know we neither committed any offence nor posed any security challenge.
“It was when we got to Ibadan that the narrative changed. They started accusing us of being insurgents and Boko Haram.
“They did all their investigations on us but couldn’t find any evidence aside from daggers, shovels and head pans. Then they said we were engaged in illegal mining and other related offences, just to conclude their aim of remanding us,” Tsafe added.
Senator Bilbis said he became worried about the predicament of the now freed constituents when they were “unlawfully arrested and wrongly accused of being a security threat” and so determined to secure their release.
He thanked President Tinubu for granting his request to include them in the presidential pardon, through the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The Senator also said he will empower them with capital to start a new life since it is part of the precondition given to him before their release.
Similarly, an aide to Dauda Lawal, the Zamfara State Governor, Dr Aliyu Adamu, has assured that the governor will also support them to start a new life.