In addition to the duo of Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, who was released from the Kuje Maximum Custodial Center at around 11:30 a.m. on the controller-general of correction service’s orders, three other prisoners from the Suleja Prison were also released, along with the other 157 inmates who were granted pardons by the National Council of State.

A statement by the public relations officer of the FCT command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Chukwuedo Humphrey, explains that the release is a sequel to the receipt of the letter of clemency from the presidential prerogative of mercy committee by the controller- general of corrections, Haliru Nababa.

The statement stated, “The controller of Corrections FCT Command, Ahmed Musa Ahmed, acting upon the directive of the controller -general also released three other inmates who were granted a pardon from the Suleja custodial centre.

‘’The pardon which was granted earlier this year by President Muhammadu Buhari was done based on recommendations from the presidential prerogative of mercy committee who interviewed all inmates based on deteriorating health status, age as well as good behaviour and industry during the period of serving their sentences.’’

The said letter was transmitted to the Kuje Maximum Custodial Facility on Monday, August 8, at about 11;30 am, directing the immediate release of the pardoned former governors.

According to sources at the Kuje Custodial Center, Dariye and Nyame wept with happiness as they said farewell to other inmates, and their family members, friends, and a few political allies who were there to greet them were thrilled by the council’s and the NCoS’s kind gesture.

Recall that the federal government failed to send documents regarding their pardon, which would have allowed the prison authorities to perfect the process for their release. This was the case for several weeks after the Council of State, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, in April approved their pardon and that of 157 others.

Meanwhile, the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, who addressed journalists after the Council of State meeting, noted that the council approved 159 out of 162 applications presented for consideration for the prerogative of mercy for convicts and inmates in correctional facilities nationwide.

Both former governors were serving a jail term for corruption until they were granted pardon by President Buhari, a development that received a lot of negative reactions. They both served as governors of Plateau and Taraba states respectively.

Dariye and Nyame were both jailed for stealing N1.16billion and N1.6billion, respectively.

The two former governors, who are members of the All Progressives Congress, were convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Abuja High Court in 2018. While Rev Nyame, who was Taraba Governor from 1999 to 2007, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing N1.6bn from the state’s treasury, with the judgment upheld by the Supreme Court, Dariye  was Plateau Governor from 1999 to 2007. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. But his term was eventually reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.