News
State Governments Can Offset, Waive Minor Fines Owed By Inmates – Aregbesola
The Federal Government has revealed that state governors can offset or grant waivers to inmates with fines less than N1 million.
This is according to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during the commissioning of a 20-bed space medical facility at Port Harcourt maximum security custodial centre.
Aregbesola said while the Federal Government is finding long time solutions to the challenge of prison decongestion, the State Government can in the meantime provide basic supports, like offsetting the meager fines and debts, building court houses at the correctional services premises or try the defendants virtually from the Correctional Centres for speedy determination of cases.
He held that some of the inmates are held behind bars for minor offences that can be easily waved by the states.
The Minister further stated that he recently asked the comptroller of Correctional centres to compile the list of inmates whose reason for incarceration is a fine or a debt not more than one million naira that are meant to be paid to the state governments.
According to him, about 5,000 inmates where shortlisted under this category and most of them have stayed long enough in the care of the Federal Government to consume foods worth more than they are supposed to pay as fines and debt to the states.
According to him, in Rivers State, there are about 22 of such inmates and the 22 of them are collectively owing a little above 3million naira, an amount he thinks the State Government can offset or wave for the inmates to be freed.
The minister noted that apart from reducing the financial burden on the Federal Government, such decisions by the state will also help in decongesting the correctional centres.
He said for instance, the Maximum facility in Port Harcourt was built 1,800 inmates, but as of May 12, 2023 the centre was holding 3,100 inmates.
While emphasizing that the situation in Port Harcourt is a reflection of the cases in most of the facilities across the country, the minister said Additionally, the Federal Government is building 6 mega facilities with at least 3,000 capacity in the six geopolitical zones to further decongest the existing facilities.
The one for the South-South is located in Bori in Khana Local Government Area of the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State.
News
Police must pay transport fares, says AIG
” No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
• The Assistant Inspector-General of Police(AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, speaking with transporters at Obalende garage, Lagos State, on Wednesday.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has declared that officers must pay fares before boarding commercial vehicles, warning against abuse of authority.
Jimoh spoke on Wednesday at Obalende garage during a sensitisation meeting with drivers and transport workers marking National Police Day 2026.
He stressed that relations between police and the public must be based on partnership, not coercion, urging both sides to support each other voluntarily.
“No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
Jimoh called for stronger cooperation to maintain safety and order on roads, insisting there was no conflict between officers and transport unions.
“I don’t collect money from officers. We don’t arrest people arbitrarily. If you have issues with any officer, report directly to me,” he said.
(Vanguard)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave for Jos tomorrow to commiserate with the state government and residents over recent deadly gun attacks that lefts dozens dead.
This was following Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s security briefing to the President on the recent violent attack in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State.
During the meeting on Wednesday at the presidential villa in Abuja, Governor Caleb Mutfwang told Mr President that although security forces have restored calm after fresh disturbances involving looters on Wednesday morning, following the deadly Palm Sunday attack that left more than a dozen dead and many others injured.
He said that investigations are continuing to determine the identities or motives of the attackers who are yet to be apprehended .
Presidency source said that President Tinubu was initially scheduled for a planned trip to Ogun State to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport on Thursday.
From Jos, the President will travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday.
On Saturday, April 4, he will visit Ogun State to commission projects including the cargo airport.
He will then return to Lagos during the Easter holiday to commission several state infrastructure projects, including the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge.
Before heading back to Abuja, the president will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission projects completed under Governor Duoye Diri.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will tomorrow embark on a visit to Jos, Plateau State, as the first leg of a five-state tour across the country.
The Presidency announced that the President has postponed his scheduled trip to Ogun State to enable him to commence the series of official visits.
Details of the remaining four states in the tour are expected to be released by the Presidency in due course.
The development comes as President Tinubu continues nationwide engagements aimed at assessing development projects, interacting with stakeholders, and addressing key national issues in the respective states.
Further updates on the itinerary will be communicated as the visits progress.
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