At least 264 inmates and convicts have benefited from presidential-style executive clemency, including pardons, sentence remissions and commutations, granted by the governors of Plateau, Kogi, Taraba and Adamawa states as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The clemency measures, announced on October 1, resulted in the release of 257 inmates, while others had their sentences reduced or commuted to life imprisonment.
Plateau State recorded the highest number of beneficiaries, with Governor Caleb Mutfwang granting absolute pardon to 130 inmates and commuting the death sentences of four others to life imprisonment.
Mutfwang announced the decision in his Independence Day goodwill message, following consultations with the Plateau State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
According to the statement, the governor exercised his constitutional powers to grant absolute pardon to the 130 inmates after due consultation with the relevant advisory council.
In Kogi State, Governor Usman Ododo granted pardon and other forms of executive clemency to 101 inmates and convicts as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
Ododo disclosed that 94 beneficiaries were granted clemency based on considerations such as old age, medical conditions, good conduct, rehabilitation, remorse and compassionate circumstances, while seven others benefited from sentence remission.
The governor said the exercise was guided by humanitarian considerations, rehabilitation, public interest, remorse and the principles of justice.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Ododo urged them to embrace their second chance and become responsible members of society, warning against returning to criminal activities.
“You have been given another opportunity, and every second opportunity comes with a greater responsibility,” the governor said, encouraging the beneficiaries to apply the skills and lessons acquired during their time in correctional facilities to build productive lives.
Meanwhile, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas granted executive pardons to 24 reformed inmates as part of the state’s activities commemorating the 66th Independence Anniversary.
Kefas announced the decision during his statewide broadcast on Thursday, explaining that the pardon was granted in accordance with his constitutional powers and based on the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
In Adamawa State, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri granted pardon to nine inmates serving various sentences in correctional facilities across the state.
Fintiri also commuted the death sentence of another inmate, Saidu Abdullahi, who was being held at the Yola Old Custodial Centre, to life imprisonment.
The governor approved the clemency measures following recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The pardons and sentence commutation took immediate effect after the completion of the necessary legal procedures with the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The figures indicate that 264 inmates and convicts across the four states benefited from various forms of executive clemency. Of these, 257 were granted pardons or other forms of mercy that resulted in their release, while the remaining beneficiaries received sentence remissions or commutations.
The clemency exercises reflect the governors’ use of their constitutional powers to provide opportunities for rehabilitation, reintegration and a fresh start for eligible inmates as Nigeria marked 66 years of independence.
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