Zimbabwe frees 3,000 prisoners in massive prison decongestion exercise

President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe yesterday pardoned 3,000 prisoners as part of government efforts to decongest prisons and improve living conditions of inmates.

Those who benefited from the amnesty, announced by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) include all female prisoners except those sentenced to death or facing life sentences, all juveniles and all people jailed for less than 36 months.

Disabled inmates, the terminally ill and those above 60 years who had served one third of their sentences were also pardoned. The pardon does not apply to habitual criminals previously pardoned but jailed again and those convicted of murder, treason, rape and armed robbery.

Zimbabwe’s prisons are battling overcrowding as they are currently holding 20,000 inmates against a carrying capacity of 17,000. “As the ZPCS we applaud the move taken by His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) in exercising his prerogative of mercy to some prisoners behind bats,’’ ZPCS deputy commissioner general Alford Mashango Dube said.

This is Mnangagwa’s first amnesty for prisoners since he assumed power last November. The last pardon that set free thousands of prisoners was done by former president Robert Mugabe in 2016 as prisons were struggling to feed the inmates.

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Kano Hisbah Board destroys 30 trailer loads of beer worth N150 m

The Kano State Hisbah Board has seized and destroyed 30 trailer loads of beer worth N150 million. In a statement released on Tuesday December 25th, the board’s Public Relations Officer, Adamu Yahaya, said that the cartons of beer were destroyed on Monday evening December 24th after interception at Kalebawa on Danbata Road in Dawakin Tofa area. “The Kano State Law No. 4 of 2004 has banned the manufacture and use of intoxicants in the state. Furthermore, an order was given by a magistrates’ court for us to go ahead with the exercise,” the public relations officer said. The worth of a trailer load of beer is between N5.2 million and N5.5 million. The sale of beer and its consumption has been banned in Kano state.

Abuja-based businessman beaten to death by unknown assailants in Enugu

An Abuja-based businessman was beaten to death by unknown assailants in Enugu. The deceased, Chinedu Nzegwu popularly known as Obroshoo by friends, was attacked by the assailants few days before his return to Abuja. They reportedly hit him with a stick on the head leaving him for dead. Late Nzegwu, a Pure and Industrial Chemistry graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, is a former student of Dennis Memorial Grammar School DMGS, Onitsha, Anambra State. His friends and family members have taken to Facebook to mourn his tragic death. One of them Nwachi Viktor, wrote: "Murdered in cold blood in Enugu by fellow ndi igbo. Another young and hardworking man from Onitsha.He was my junior in Dennis Memorial Grammar school Onitsha. Trying to understand why they had to beat him to death,he was never a thief and came from a good home. Rest in peace Chinedu Nzegwu. No one is safe in Nigeria!"

Boko Haram members attack community in Borno state; raze hospital and Telecoms mast

Suspected Boko Haram members have attacked Magumeri community in Borno State, destroying the only functional telecommunications mast, a hospital recently equipped by the Borno State Government and other facilities. According to reports, the insurgents invaded the community at about 4pm on Monday, August 17, shooting sporadically. The military airstrike engaged the sect members in a gun battle but it did not deter the sect members who destroyed anything in sight. A woman was reportedly killed in the crossfire while several other persons sustained injuries. Magumer which has witnessed a series of Boko Haram attacks, is about 40km drive from Maiduguri, the state capital. See more photos from the attack below Credit-LIB

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