CoviD-19; Governor Bello pardons fifty inmates

THE governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has pardon fifty inmates serving in various Correctional Service across the country.
The governor in a statement issued on Wednesday said the Covid-19 pandemic has compelled extraordinary steps by nations and territories to slow or halt the spread of the disease adding that one of such steps is the deployment of applicable mechanisms in the administration of criminal justice system, including the Prerogative of Mercy.
According to him, the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) administers the nation’s Correctional Centres as a core responsibility.
“In order to curtail or totally avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the Nigerian Correctional Services facilities in our state and across the country the Administration is embarking on this exercise once again to reduce the number of inmates in custody. This step has become imperative to reduce overcrowding in our Correctional Services in compliance with the social and physical distancing policies which are the new paradigms in the era of Covid-19.
According to him, this current exercise takes cognisance of the protocols of prevention for the pandemic and thus broadens the scope of beneficiaries.
” It also necessitates the exercise of our prerogative of mercy to a larger group of internees than usual. In all cases, we took scrupulous steps to make sure that only persons who meet the lawful criteria are considered
“The Kogi State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, acting in consonance with the provisions of the Kogi State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy Law, 1995 visited several Correctional Services in some States of the Federation where condemned convicts, those serving life sentences and other categories of convicts are kept.
“A careful scrutiny of the applications of the convicts, supporting documents and testimonies given by the Officials in Charge of the various Correctional Services clearly point at the fact that some of the convicts deserve to be given another chance in life.
“In consideration of the foregoing and fully cognisant of the overriding public health and societal objectives, I, Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, under and by virtue of the powers conferred on me by section 212 (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) in exercise of my powers of the Prerogative of Mercy, do hereby and on this 19th day of May, 2020, pronounce and declare in the manner hereinafter rendered.
44 convicts serving sentences in Correctional Services situated in Kogi State who either have 1 year to end of sentence and/or whose conduct qualifies them for pardon are granted pardon, while 8 convicts sentenced in Kogi State serving in Custodial Centers situated in Kogi State are ordered to be reduced.
Also, 12 convicted inmates who refused to abscond or escape from Koton Karfe Custodial Center, Kogi State after its perimeters were breached during a flooding disaster on Monday the 28th day of October, 2019 be reduced.
5 convicts who are serving their sentences in various Custodial Centers across the country are hereby granted pardon while 5 condemned convicts who are serving their respective sentences in various Correctional Centers across the country shall and do hereby have their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
That the under listed convicts serving sentences in Correctional Services situated in Kogi State who either have 1 year to end of sentence and/or whose conduct qualifies them for pardon are hereby granted pardon and should be released forthwith, to wit:
1. Alex Ajayi 2. Joseph Wale
3. Ola Adebayo
4. Garba Inusa
5. Ireti Adedayo
6. Femi Omoniyi
7. Isaac Mathew
8. Haruna Ibrahim
9. Bashir Ibrahim
10. Sani Mohammed
11. Sayo Joseph
12. Ope Kolade
13. Ejima Abdullahi
14. Lawal Mohammed
15. Dare Adebayo
16. Segun Sunday
17. Yinka Samuel
18. John Sunday Damilola
19. Tuesday Oloruntoba
20. Oluwatosin Akande
21. Ahmed Okanlawon
22. Mubarack Husseni
23. Oludoyi Olutimi
24. Sesan Jimoh
25. Audu Mohammed
26. Joseph Stephen
27. Babalola Taiwo
28. Sani Musari
29. Sawa Dayo
30. Mohammed Yusuf
31. Isah Lukman
32. Abubakar Ahmed
33. Yusuf Ahmed Tijani
34. Ojo Momohjimoh
35. Usman Ilu Rago
36. Iliya Sheidu
37. Micheal Iko-Ojo
38. Kashimu Abdullahi
39. Stephen Ukwede
40. Yakubu Momoh
41. Besiru Ogwu
42. Emmanuel Joseph Jashi
43. Yusuf Yakubu
44. Elija Shaibu
That the Sentences of Convicts Sentenced in Kogi State serving in Custodial Centers situated in Kogi State are hereby ordered to be reduced:
1. Paul Shaorga
2. Edino James
3. Friday Ameh
4. ThankGod Sunday
5. Haruna Alfa
6. Benji Solomon
7. Sumaila Isa
8. Jibrin Ibrahim Babangida
That the sentences of the following convicted inmates who refused to abscond or escape from Koton Karfe Custodial Center, Kogi State after its perimeters were breached during a flooding disaster on Monday the 28th day of October, 2019 be reduced:
1. Sunday Okafor
2. Daniel Friday
3. Zekeri Hassan
4. Bala Muhammed
5. Rabiu Ibrahim Alolo
6. Abdulkudus Nasiru
7. Adeika Joseph
8. Maji Abdulsadiq
9. Okwudili Ajogu
10. Aminu Umar
11. Lucky Jonathan
12. Lucky Ejiga
That the following convicts who are serving their sentences in various Custodial Centers across the country are hereby granted pardon:
1. Oko Correctional Centre, Benin Abdulkareem Musa.
2. Kaduna Correctional Centre,
a. Ade Ayedun
b. Idris Amodu
c. Garba Ibrahim
3. Jos Correctional Centre, Suleiman Isah
4. Warri Correctional Centre, Jimoh Shaibu, a.k.a Aruba
5. Lagos Maximum Security Correctional Centre, Adamu Saliu
That the following condemned convicts who are serving their respective sentences in various Correctional Centers across the country shall and do hereby have their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment:
1. Kaduna Correctional Centre,
a. Joseph Aruwa
b. Nyor Akpera
c. Monday Ibrahim
2. Jos Correctional Centre, Monday Abuh
3. Enugu Correctional Service, Shagari Yakubu