Details of other high profiles among the newly pardoned were yet to be obtained as at press time, but those on the expected list have been former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, late Lt. Colonel Oyewole Akioyide, who were surprisingly excluded from the list of Lt. General Oladipo Diya and co granted pardon during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has granted presidential pardon to Second Republic Governor of Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Alli, and late Chief Anthony Enahoro.
Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, made the announcement at a world press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the pardon means that Enahoro and Ambrose Alli were never convicted. He also announced that three other high profile convicts were among the 2600 inmates granted a presidential pardon nationwide.
The conference was attended by Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information.
Details of other high profiles among the newly pardoned were yet to be obtained as at press time, but those on the expected list have been former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, late Lt. Colonel Oyewole Akioyide, who were surprisingly excluded from the list of Lt. General Oladipo Diya and co granted pardon during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
From the new development, 70 inmates are expected to be released from Kuje Maximum Correctional Centre on Thursday, April 9, 2020.
The DEFENDER gathered that the move became expedient to control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The Kuje Custodial Centre which is home to high-profile inmates like former Abia governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Taraba governor, Jolly Nyame, former PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh are kept, is in Abuja.
Recall that the Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola disclosed last week that he met the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to work on a proposal for presentation to the president on decongestion of the custodial centres.
After this disclosure, President Muhammadu Buhari was rumoured to have granted amnesty to some inmates, sparking a riot at the Kaduna Correctional Centre, and reportedly leading to the death of four inmates.
Details later….
