The Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese in Adamawa State, Most Rev. Stephen Dami Mamza, has facilitated the release of 26 inmates serving various prison sentences at the Yola Maximum Prison.
According to The Eagle reports, Mamza took this action in order to commemorate 2016 as the Year of Peace as set aside by the Pontiff, Pope Frances II.
The bishop explained, during a short speech at the prison, that he felt compassion for the inmates who have been in prison for over a year simply because they could not afford to pay the fine needed for their release.
Speaking on how he found out about the plight of the inmate, Mamza disclosed that when he visited the prisons last Christmas, one of them revealed that he was sentenced to 2 years, but given an option of N700 fine.
Bishop Mamza said: “One of them in prison jailed for two years was unable to pay N700 as the option of fine but he couldn’t afford to pay and he is serving two years.
“For some others, it is N1,000.
“But the highest is only about N15,000.
“So I got somebody to compile those affected.
“I decided to do this because this year is very special and has been declared by the Holy Farther Pope Francis as the Year of Mercy.
“We need to be merciful to one another so that God can be merciful to us.
“We must remain our brother’s keepers and love those who are in need.”
One of the release inmates, Blessing Ishaku, a 15-year-old JSS 2 student, said she was arrested by vigilantes while sitting outside her house and taken to a police station and she was taken to court and jailed for three years with an option fine of N15,000, but she was unable to pay the fine so she has spent one month at the Yola Prison. She was thankful that she avoided the jail sentence of 3 years which would have been her fate, and thanked the Catholic church for coming to her rescue.
According to The Eagle reports, Mamza took this action in order to commemorate 2016 as the Year of Peace as set aside by the Pontiff, Pope Frances II.
The bishop explained, during a short speech at the prison, that he felt compassion for the inmates who have been in prison for over a year simply because they could not afford to pay the fine needed for their release.
Speaking on how he found out about the plight of the inmate, Mamza disclosed that when he visited the prisons last Christmas, one of them revealed that he was sentenced to 2 years, but given an option of N700 fine.
Bishop Mamza said: “One of them in prison jailed for two years was unable to pay N700 as the option of fine but he couldn’t afford to pay and he is serving two years.
“For some others, it is N1,000.
“But the highest is only about N15,000.
“So I got somebody to compile those affected.
“I decided to do this because this year is very special and has been declared by the Holy Farther Pope Francis as the Year of Mercy.
“We need to be merciful to one another so that God can be merciful to us.
“We must remain our brother’s keepers and love those who are in need.”
One of the release inmates, Blessing Ishaku, a 15-year-old JSS 2 student, said she was arrested by vigilantes while sitting outside her house and taken to a police station and she was taken to court and jailed for three years with an option fine of N15,000, but she was unable to pay the fine so she has spent one month at the Yola Prison. She was thankful that she avoided the jail sentence of 3 years which would have been her fate, and thanked the Catholic church for coming to her rescue.
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