GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has accused students of being the brains behind the high level of crime and criminality in the state.
Chief Okorocha, who stated this Tuesday in his pre-democracy day press briefing in Owerri, also disclosed that over 60 percent of criminals in the state were students.
Although the governor fell short of giving details of how he arrived at the figure he was insistent that the level of kidnapping and prostitution had gone down since his administration floated the free education programme.
“The level of kidnapping has dropped. The level of prostitution has gone down. Of the criminals in the state, 80 percent of them are students because of money. When you help them out with money, their needs drop,” Okorocha reasoned.
On prison congestion, the governor said he would not like any criminal to be set free or an innocent man incarcerated, adding that he would soon reactivate the State Prerogative of Mercy Committee.
“What I don’t want to do is release a criminal that ought to serve his punishment and I don’t also want to see any innocent man in prison,” he said.
