Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has flagged-off the 2020 presidential pardon and clemency granted recently by President Muhammadu Buhari to convicts in correctional/custodial centres across the country.
Malami said the flag-off was part of the urgent measures taken by the Federal Government towards the speedy decongestion of correctional/custodial centres in the country in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking, Thursday at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, the AGF said his office would continue to fine-tune the roadmap and vigorously implement comprehensive action plan to ensure enduring achievements in reforming and decongesting correctional centres in the country.
Malami, who spoke on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, recalled that Nigeria had succeeded in putting in place urgent measures to ensure speedy decongestion of the custodial centres towards the control of COVID-19 pandemic which he described as part of demonstration of Buhari’s sincerity and commitment to decongest the overcrowded Nigerian Correctional Centres.
He explained that the process of coming up with the list of beneficiaries commenced in 2018, when sequel to Mr. president’s approval, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) was inaugurated on August 28, 2018 to advise Mr. President in granting pardon/clemency to deserving inmates and ex-convicts in line with the provisions of Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In carrying out the assignment, the AGF said the committee adopted the use of interviews, observations, consultation and relevant documents called for and received from each of the Correctional Centres in Nigeria.
He said that the committee visited several correctional centres in the six geo-political zones of the country to interact and identify those eligible for presidential pardon/clemency.
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Malami said that upon conclusion of the assignment, a report of the committee, containing the list of beneficiaries considered and recommended for pardon or clemency was submitted for the information and necessary action by Mr. President.
“Out of the 176 persons interviewed, presidential pardon has been granted to two inmates. Mr. President granted clemency to 39 inmates as recommended by the PACPM out of which four inmates are from Kuje Correctional Centre. In addition, Mr. President has also graciously granted pardon to five ex-convicts.
“My office will take necessary steps to publish the names of these beneficiaries in the Federal Gazette in line with extant laws and regulations,” he said.
The minister said that in furtherance to the efforts to put COVID-19 under control, Mr. President requested appropriate authorities to embark on a visit to all correctional/custodial centres within their respective states to identify and release deserving inmates.
“During the visit, there should be conditional or unconditional release of ATPs who have spent a substantial number of years in custody, especially those with no sufficient legal basis to remain in custody,” he said emphasising that Mr. President had requested that particular attention should be on the aged (especially those with terminal health issues), low risk offenders as well as the payment of fines for convicts of lesser offences with option of fines, who had been in custody because of their inability to pay such fines.
Malami warned all the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon and clemency to desist from crime and criminality and be of good behaviour.
