Buhari Grants Pardon To Jailed Ex-Gov, Colonel, 2,603 Other Inmates

President Muhammadu Buhari has granted presidential pardon to a former governor of the old Bendel State, Professor Ambros Alli, and retired Lt. Colonel Moses Effiong, who were Jailed for various of fences, on Thursday.

Buhari announced the pardon in a series of tweets on his official Twitter account (NGRPresident) on Thursday.

NOTICE:

President @MBuhari has granted presidential pardon to the following five convicted persons:

1. The Late Prof Ambrose Alli

2. The Late Chief Anthony Enahoro

3. Ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong

4. Major E.J. Olanrewaju

5. Ajayi Olusola Babalola

— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) April 9, 2020

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said: “Prof Alli 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.”

According to Aregbesola, Buhari also approved an Amnesty for 2,600 inmates in Custodial Centers across the federation.

He said, “This presidential amnesty DOES NOT apply to inmates sentenced for terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and other violent offences.

“The Governors of the 36 States under whose jurisdiction the inmates were incarcerated will complete the exercise in line with our federal principle.

“These [2,600 beneficiaries of the Amnesty] include 885 convicts who could not pay their fines totalling N21.4 million which @NigeriaGov will pay on their behalf to enable them get their freedom,” said Aregbesola.

The Interior Minister said that the presidential amnesty was in line with the Buhari aministration’s goal of “decongesting Nigeria’s Custodial Centers, a task now given urgency by the outbreak & continued spread of #COVID19.

“Other decongestion measures approved by the President have been announced by Ministry of Interior.”