The National Council of State has granted state pardon to former Governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba States respectively, who are serving terms in jail for corruption.
The governors were among 159 prisoners pardoned by the Council at a meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Among the beneficiaries are a former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, an army lieutenant colonel, Akiyode, who was an aide of former deputy to General Abacha, Oladipo Diya; and all the junior officers jailed over the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup, Premium Times reports.
The Council recommended that President Muhammadu Buhari should pardon 159 inmates serving jail terms for various offences.The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, said this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Council of State meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the recommendation came after the council received the report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.“In the exercise of the powers on the granting of pardon, precisely on the 28th day of August 2018, the President put in place a committee known as the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, which 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, by way of either granting pardon to those that have been convicted, clemency, or some other form of concessions by way of reduction in sentence and term.
“It was in exercise 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 requirement 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 council for its advice. The Committee made a submission of 162 people presented to the President for such consideration.
“26 of the inmates are recommended for presidential pardon, 85 of surviving ex-convicts, were recommended for presidential pardon, one deceased person was recommended for post humours presidential pardon, 27 inmates were recommended for presidential clemency, 13 inmates were recommended 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,” he said.He said the Council of State endorsed 159 out of the 162 convicts and advised the President to grant them pardon and mercy but rejected three of the recommended convicts.
“The Council rejected proposal to grant pardon to one of the prisoners sentenced to 120 years for stealing over N25 billion. The reason for seeking for pardon was because of life threatening illness.“The second person was convicted for forgery, sentenced for 14 years and has stayed in prison for a year and six months. The third person was obtaining money by false pretence and was sentenced for seven years,” he explained.Also speaking, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, disclosed that over 400 norminations were endorsed by the Council for the granting of national honours.
“The council approved the conferment of National Honours Award on 434 Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in the various field of endeavours.“It is supposed to be a yearly event, where the President confers on worthy Nigerians, men and women of integrity and character and are therefore, found worthy to be conferred with our national honours,” he said.Blueprint learnt that one of the persons whose request was rejected by the Council of State is Mr Francis Atuche.