320 Convicts Seek Buhari’s Presidential Pardon

The Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN has said that under the purview of his office, about 320 requests have been received seeking presidential pardon of several convicts across the nation.

A convict is anyone that has been found guilty by a court of law.

The AGF revealed the latest applications while addressing the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) at the Ministry’s building on Tuesday.

He recalled that the federal government established the Committee in 2018 with a view to assisting President Muhammadu Buhari in granting pardon and clemency to convicts or ex-convicts ‘in deserving cases and reintegrating them back into the society geared towards decongesting Correctional Centres and discharge the role constitutionally bestowed in him in that regards.”

The AGF noted that progress had been made so far, but added more applications needed to be attended to, hence the meeting.

“Since Committee submitted its Report and proceeded on recess, the Federal Ministry of Justice has received numerous applications for presidential pardon and clemency.

“However, following Mr. President’s directive to all stakeholders to swiftly ensure the decongestion of Correctional Centres in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the glaring consequent danger posed to the Custodial Centres nationwide on the one part, and the fact the office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and that of the Committee Secretariat is being inundated with myriad of requests for the grant of Presidential Pardon and clemency (320 applications) on behalf of some Convicts in Custodial Centres across the nation, on the other part, it has become expedient for the committee to be reconvened,” Malami said.

He said that the president was committed to the ongoing Justice Sector Reforms and had confidence that the committee would do justice to their assignment.