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These Governors are pardoning Prison Inmates, but to what end?

As plans to decongest Prisons and with a hopeful new beginning of the year, Nigerians Governors have started granting various levels of pardons to inmates across Prisons in their States.

ADAMAWA

Governor Muhammed  Bindow pardoned 37 prisoners to mark the celebration of the New Year in Adamawa State.

In a Statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ahmed Sajoh, Bindow also commuted the death sentence of two prisoners to life imprisonment.

“As part of the New Year celebration for 2018, His Excellency has invoked the powers conferred on him under the prerogative of mercy, acting on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, headed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, decided to pardon the convicts…’’

ONDO 

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu also approved the pardon of 12 inmates in various Prisons across the State.

According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Yemi Owolabi, Akeredolu’s gesture was in exercise of the power conferred on him by Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“In his letter, dated 27th December, 2017, and addressed to the Comptroller of Prisons, Governor Akeredolu advised that the affected prisoners be released.

“All the prisoners have served portions of their various sentences.

The Governor also advised the freed prisoners to contribute positively to the development of the Country and engage in legal activities.

ABIA

Willie Obiano approved various pardons to about 71 inmates serving various terms in the State Prisons.

According to the State’s Ministry of Information, 58 of the inmates were serving terms ranging from fraud, theft, malicious damages, arson, kidnapping and rape.

The Governor also commuted death sentences of eight murder convicts to life imprisonment, with two being recommended for psychiatric homes.

YOBE

The Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, granted State pardon to five Prisoners that were convicted for jail terms and other offences.

The Director-General of Press Affairs to the Governor, Abdullahi Bego, named the affected prisoners as  Mohammed Gidado – Convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison and serving term at Potiskum Medium Security Prison; Adamu Hardo – Convicted and sentenced to four years in prison and serving term at Potiskum Medium Security Prison; Kachallah Bukar – Convicted and sentenced to two years in prison and serving term at Gashu’a Prison; Jibrin Mohammed – Convicted and sentenced to three years in prison and serving term at Potiskum Medium Security Prison; Baba Isa – Convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison and serving term at Potiskum Medium Security Prison.

He also said the Governor’s pardon was an exercise of his powers of Prerogative of Mercy powers conferred on him “by Section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and based on the recommendation of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy chaired by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ahmed Mustapha Goniri”.

To what End?

Earlier this year, Governor Aminu Tambuwal granted pardon to 6 persons accused of corruption who are still in his administration. The EFCC kicked and appealed, as the suspects were still in trial when Tambuwal gave the pardon. The EFCC argues that a State pardon is a grace for convicted people, not a pass for suspects.

If the EFCC’s argument is correct then it raises a question on the validity of pardoning people awaiting trial. But a distinction is made in this case as the Public Prosecution Department and the Chief Judge are involved. This would mean the State simply dropped the idea of suspecting the suspect of the crime.

Remarkably, pardons are hardly ever used on influential people in Nigeria, due to a lot of factors including political backlash. The major reason for pardon in Nigeria has come to be prison decongestion.

Most Nigerian Prisons are said to be overpopulated by up to 90%. President Buhari has mention the advocacy for the establishment of a Court inside prisons to speed up the process of trial and cut the cost of logistics.

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