President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 2,600 inmates across the country.
This is part of government’s efforts to decongest the custodial centres to avoid the spread of coronavirus in the centres and by extension, the country.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this at a World Press Conference at the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) on Thursday also revealed that five ex-convicts have been granted presidential pardon.
He said: “A total number of 2,600 inmates spread across our various custodial centres qualify to benefit from the amnesty. These include 885 convicts who could not pay their fines totaling N21.4 million which the government will pay on their behalf to enable them get their freedom.
“From this number, 41 inmates are federal convicts, two of which have been granted pardon.”
He also said five ex-convicts recommended for presidential pardon have been so pardoned.
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The Minister identified them as: “late Prof Ambrose Ali, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olanrewaju and Ajayi Olusola Babalola.”
Prof Ali was the governor of the old Bendel State in the Second Republic (1978-1983) and a great progressive while Chief Enahoro was a foremost nationalist who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence.
Speaking also at the briefing, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said of the inmates to be freed, 39 were granted clemency – four of which are in the Kuje Custodial Centre.
Malami said the government’s action was in line with the advice of the UN which called on countries of the world to reduce the population of prisons so as to encourage social distancing.
Presently, there are 73, 756 inmates in custodial centres across the country, out of which 51,983 are on the Awaiting Trial list,
