Kano State Government on Monday announced plans to convert the century-old Kurmawa Maximum Security Prison into a museum.
Kurmawa Prison, built in 1910 by the British colonial government within the precincts of the Kano Emir’s Palace, was designed to hold 690 inmates. Over the past 115 years, it has become one of the most notable symbols of Kano’s colonial and correctional history.
Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser on Information, said on his verified Facebook page that the Kano heritage revamp would lead to the transfer of inmates from the colonial-era Kurmawa Correctional Center to a new facility at Janguza, near the military barracks along the Kano–Gwarzo–Dayi Federal Highway.
Existing statistics revealed that the Janguza facility, built by the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has a capacity to accommodate 3,000 inmates.
Adam said, “Kano State Government under the leadership of Gov. Abba K. Yusuf will transfer all inmates currently at the Kurmawa Correctional Center to Janguza, while the Kurmawa Correctional Center will be transformed into a museum dedicated to preserving historical artifacts and promoting the rich culture of the State.”
Adam said the prison-to-palace of history is expected to serve educational and tourism purposes among centres within and around the ancient city of Kano.
He stated that, “We want to preserve our heritage and at the same time provide a more decent and secure environment for inmates.”
