Over the past eight years, he said his government has settled fines and made compensation payments to inmates totaling N4. 4 million.

This was contained n a statement released by Hassan Musa Fagge, the chief press secretary to the deputy governor of Kano State on Friday.

During the Eid-el-Fitr celebration at Goron Dutse, where 43 inmates were pardoned for various offences committed while serving sentences in jails run by Nasiru Gawuna, who represented Governor Babangida Aliyu stated this.

While stressing the importance of freedom in human life, he called on the pardoned inmates to exemplify good character wherever they find themselves.

Kano State's Controller of Correctional Services, Suleiman Inuwa, explained that the gesture offered by Kano State Government—which allows inmates to be freed if they pay fines or compensation for their crimes and apply for pardons helps ease overcrowding in prisons by ensuring peaceful conditions.

He appealed to other states to emulate the gesture and also urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the Nigerian Correctional Service by being law-abiding citizens through displaying good behaviour.

On his part, the chairman of the council on the prerogative of mercy thanked Governor Abubakar for exercising a power conferred by Nigeria's constitution: to release prisoners whose cases have been considered and recommended upon by both internal management officials as well as external specialists.