Two former Nigerian governors serving jail terms may soon get clemency

Two former Nigerian Governors Jolly Nyame of Taraba State and Joshua Dariye of Plateau State both currently serving various jail terms over corruption may soon regain freedom alongside 257 convicts already penciled down for clemency.

Penpushing reports that signal to this was uncovered following the Council of States endorsement of granting of clemency, pardon and prerogative of mercy to 159 out of 162 applications presented to it for consideration,which sources said the two former Governors have been considered as beneficiaries of the gestures

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while addressing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council’s meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday  in Abuja,noted that the Council of States is an organ saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive arm of government on major policy decisions.

Penpushing further reports that, Malami said the recommendation came after the council received the report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

“In the exercise of the powers on the granting of pardon, precisely on August 28, 2018, the President put in place a committee known as the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy’.

“It was saddled with the responsibility of visiting the country’s correctional facilities and making recommendations to the President on the exercise of his power of mercy and compassion, to either grant pardon to those that had been convicted, clemency, or some other form of concessions by way of reduction in sentence and term”.

“It was in the exercise of such duties and responsibility in line with the terms of the Committee on Prerogative of Mercy that we presented the report to the President and the requirements of the law on the exercise of that mercy and pardon, should seek the advice of the Council of State”.

“In line with that, a memo was presented by the president this afternoon to the council, through which the report of the Committee was presented to the council for its advice. The Committee submitted to 162 people presented to the President for such consideration’.

“26 of the inmates are recommended for a presidential pardon, 85 surviving ex-convicts were recommended for a presidential pardon, and one deceased person was recommended for a posthumous presidential pardon.

”27 inmates were recommended for presidential clemency, 13 inmates were for a review of their sentences or prison terms, 10 inmates were presented for a reduced sentence from death to life imprisonment.In total, 162 convicts were presented for the President’s consideration for pardon and mercy”, Malami said.