Three people condemned to three weeks community service by the Federal High Court in Bauchi have been sentenced in an effort to improve the application of non-custodial measures in Bauchi State.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Nigerian Correctional Service, Bauchi State Command, SC Adam Abubakar Jibrin, and made available to DAILY POST in Bauchi said that the three convicts had been welcomed by the Non-Custodial Service Bauchi State Command.
Dahiru Ibrahim, Gambo Abdullahi, and Umar Rabiu were caught in possession of cannabis sativa weighing 150g, 200g, and 300g, respectively.
According to Jibrin, they were sentenced to daily cleaning and sweeping of the premises of Bauchi Custodial Centre for the period of three weeks.
While inspecting them on Friday at their place of duty, the officer in charge of the Non-Custodial Service Bauchi State Command, DCC Bala D. Kitsam, commended the Federal High Court for the sentence.
The statement informed that Kitsam called on the Bauchi State government to expedite action towards domesticating the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 in the state for effective take-off of non custodial measures in the state.
He submitted that when fully implemented, non-custodial measures, including community service, parole, probation and restorative justice, would not only help in decongesting the custodial centres in the state but the society would also benefit immensely from the services rendered by the offenders.
According to the statement, the convicts expressed satisfaction with being sentenced to non-custodial service, which Jibrin stated that they said was better than being sentenced to a custodial centre.
They, however, pledged to abide by the rules and shun crime after their discharge.
The statement informed that this was one of the few sentences the Non-Custodial Service was executing in Bauchi State since its inception in 2019 following the passage into law of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act (2019).