Kano plans amnesty for repentant thugs

By Bashir Bello

KANO — The Kano State government has said that plans are underway to grant amnesty to repentant thugs in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, disclosed this during the flag-off ceremony to profile repentant thugs under a protect, Safe Corridor.

Waiya said about 718 were already profiled for the amnesty, while 960 are waiting to be profiled after they laid down their arms.

He said the new project was initiated by the Governor Abba Yusuf-led administration to address thuggery menace in the state.

He said: “Governor Abba Yusuf is so much concerned about this (thuggery menace) because the development is very much ugly and it doesn’t really speak good of the image of the state. And that is why he decided to initiate this project as a deliberate and a very intentional project with a view to address this.

“We believe that by engaging these youth through this non-kinetic approach, we will be able to contain the challenges we are facing around the issue of thuggery in the state, which has been an issue of concern to all the citizens of the state.

“Today is the very day that we have commenced the profiling of these repentant youth who have agreed to key into the project.

“We are hoping after the profiling by the police, then the next stage is they are going to be also profiled by the NDLEA, that is conducting a drug test of them, trying to make sure that they are very much healthy mentally and physically. Then after that, they are going to also be subjected to rehabilitation.

“Then the next is the issue of reintegration, and we are hoping that they are going to be reintegrated into society so that they could be now members or productive members of the society. We are hoping they are going to abandon this life of thuggery, which is very much unfortunate.

“We know very well some of the youth that are actually involved in this, it’s not their own intention, it’s not their own interest, but they were actually lured into that by some evil-minded politicians, which we really look at and see that it is really unacceptable.

“This government is not going to accept this, and we’re not really going to allow this to continue in the state, and that is why the government is very much committed to addressing this once and for all.

We want to make sure that the issue of thuggery in the state becomes history by the end of his administration.

“For now, we have 718, which were the first ones that were initially profiled, and we have now an additional 960, which we have also rendered the list to the police, and we are waiting for the police to validate the already profiled youth for us to continue and to have a working document

‘’We are hoping that the governor is going to grant amnesty to all of them. Having granted amnesty, then they are going to be free from all accusations or from anything to do with any crime, and they will now be considered as innocent as everybody.’’

On his part, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, appealed to those yet to lay down their arms to do so and embrace peace as the initiative, Safe Corridor provides them second chance to start afresh and become productive members of society.

He said: “A message to our youth, especially those who have been involved in thuggery activities or other forms of thuggery, I appeal to you today to repent, lay down your arms, and embrace peace.

‘’The life of crime and violence leads only to destruction, pain, and regret not just for you, but for your families and communities as well.

“The Kano State government, through this ‘Safe Corridor’ program, is offering you a second chance to start afresh and become productive members of society. Take this opportunity seriously.’’

Earlier in his remarks, Kano State Hisbah Commander-General, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, appealed to the repentant thugs to help the personnel with necessary information that would lead to the arrest of drug dealers.

He also appealed to them to reach out to their colleagues who were yet to lay down their arms.”

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