The Kano State Government has announced plans to grant amnesty to repentant thugs under its âsafe corridorâ initiative designed to tackle political thuggery and youth restiveness in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi-Waiya, disclosed this on Wednesday at the state police command headquarters during the inauguration of the programme.
He said 718 youths had already been profiled, while an additional 960 were awaiting police validation before being enrolled.
âHis Excellency, Governor Abba Yusuf is so much concerned about this (thuggery menace) because the development is very much ugly and it doesnât really speak good of the image of the state.
âAnd that is why His Excellency decided to initiate this project as a deliberate and very intentional project with a view to addressing this,â Waiya said.
He explained that the youths would undergo drug tests, rehabilitation, and reintegration into society.
âWe know very well some of the youth that are actually involved in this, itâs not their own intention, itâs 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.
âThis government is not going to accept this, and weâre not really going to allow this to continue in the state,â he added.
Waiya said the governor would grant amnesty after police validation.
âHaving 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,â he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, urged those still in possession of arms to surrender, saying the initiative provides them second chance to start afresh and become productive members of society.
Also, the Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, appealed to the repentant thugs to provide information that could aid the arrest of drug dealers and convince their colleagues yet to surrender to follow suit.
