COVID19: Late Pa Enahoro Gets 2nd Presidential Pardon
- Late Prof Ali also pardoned
- 2,600 inmates set free too
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved another Presidential pardon for Late Pa Anthony Enahoro, who was pardoned by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) after the counter military coup in 1966.
The Late Enahoro was pardoned, along with Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Joseph Tarka and others immediately after the second military coup in 1966.
However, President Buhari still listed him among those he granted presidential pardon, include, the Late Governor of old Bendel State, Professor Ambrose Ali; ex-Lieutenant Colonel Moses Effiong; Major EJ Olanrewaju; and Ajayi Olusola Babalola, who were ex-convicts.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who announced the Presidential pardon at a press conference as part of the President Buhari’s amnesty to the Correctional Centers’ inmates, said the President also approved the release of 2,600 inmates across various custodial centres in the country.
According to Ogbeni Aregbesola, the development is part of measures aimed at decongesting the country’s custodial centres.
He however, said the Presidential pardon would not apply to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, and culpable homicide, among others.
The Interior Minister said part of the issues that necessitated releasing of the inmates include old age, terminal illness, convicts serving three years and above, but have less than six months to serve, and inmates with options of fines not exceeding N50,000, but have no pending case.
Aregbesola further said; “Using these criteria, 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 totalling 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.”
Continuing, he said about 250 correctional facilities are inadequate to house the over 74,000 inmates in the nation’s custody presently, adding that with the construction of a 3,000-capacity custodial centre in Abuja, and the 3,000-Capacity Maximum Security Custodial Centre sited at Janguza in Kano State, which are awaiting completion, the Interior Ministry is gradually solving the problem of poor accommodation.
The Minister however noted that a bigger issue that would positively affect accommodation at the Correctional Centres is the review of criminal justice administration with regards to inmates.
According to him; “The last audit conducted by the Interior Ministry, showed that a disproportionate number of inmates are Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs).
“Some of the ATPs have spent 10 years or more in custody. Some have no confirmed criminal case against them. Others have had their cases determined, but could not pay the fines imposed on them by the courts. We have some that are already old and weak; while some of them are very sick and infirm.”
The former governor of Osun State also said the Ministry of Interior has set in motion machinery for decongesting correctional facilities, which have even become imperative owing to the outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19.
The Minister therefore appealed to the beneficiaries of the amnesty to repent and turn a new life so as to justify the confidence the government has reposed in them.
The Minister, who was accompanied by the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Jaafaru Ahmed, later visited the Kuje Custodial Centre, where 41 inmates were released from incarceration.
