Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has approved the pardon, release and reduction of sentences for 13 inmates in the state as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
The governor exercised the power under the Prerogative of Mercy provided by Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, following consultations with the Enugu State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
The decision was communicated to the Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Enugu State Command, by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Osinachi Nnajieze.
A statement issued by the governor’s media aide, Uche Anichukwu, on Independence Day said the beneficiaries are Kenneth Ozioko, Moses Saliyat, Promise Ndudim Olung, Chijioke Ugwu, Samuel Ani and Eugene Odo.
Other beneficiaries are Celsus Emeachi, Caleb Jatto, Calistus Eze, Gabriel Onu, Timothy Ani, Ernest Okeke and Ejike Nwodo.
According to the statement, some of the inmates were granted full pardon and released, while the death sentences of some others were commuted to life imprisonment.
The governor’s decision followed reports concerning the ill health of some inmates and evidence of reformation in the conduct of others.
The recommendations were made by the Correctional Service and considered by the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
The council includes representatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Carmelite Prisoners Interest Organisation (CAPIO), the Catholic Institute for Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), and other organisations involved in the justice sector.
Section 212(1) of the 1999 Constitution empowers a state governor to grant a pardon to a person convicted of an offence under state law, either unconditionally or subject to lawful conditions.
The governor may also grant a respite from punishment, replace a punishment with a less severe one, or reduce or cancel all or part of a sentence or penalty imposed for the offence.
However, Section 212(2) requires the governor to exercise these powers after consulting the state’s Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
The latest action by the Enugu State Government therefore followed the constitutional procedure for exercising the prerogative of mercy.
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