Buhari pardons Dariye, Nyame, 157 others, confers national honours on 434 Nigerians

The Council of State on Thursday granted clemency, state pardon and prerogative of mercy to 159 Nigerians who had been convicted of various offences.

The council took this decision at its meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami made this known when he addressed the press after the meeting.

The Council of State chaired by the President has the Vice President, past Presidents, Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, as well as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, past and serving as members.

Others are the Attorney General of the Federation, all Governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Malami 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 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 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 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 humous 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.

WesternPost gathered that among those granted presidential pardon were former governors of Taraba and Plateau state, Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye who are both serving jail terms.

A former minister under the regime of General Sani Abacha, Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrenwaju and late Lt. Col. Oluwole Akiyode (an aide to former Chief Of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya), who were both convicted for the 1996 military coup.

Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, also disclosed that the Council approved the conferment of National Honours on 434 Nigerians.

“The council approved the conferment of National Honours Award on 434 Nigerians who had distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour.

“It is supposed to be an annual event, where the President confers on Nigerians, men and women of integrity and character, found worthy to be conferred with our national honours,” Akume said.