Senator Joshua Dariye, and Rev. Jolly Nyame, former Governors of Plateau and Taraba states, were set free from Kuje Correctional Centre, near Abuja yesterday.
They had been behind bars for fraud and criminal breach of trust.
While Nyame diverted N1.64 billion during his tenure as governor of Taraba, an offence for which he was sentenced to 12 years, Dariye attracted 10 years’ imprisonment for N1.126 billion fraud.
On 14 April, this year, they were granted a pardon by the Council of State, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It was a matter of “go free and sin no more…”
Dariye and Nyame were not the only inmates who walked free yesterday. There were three others from the Suleja Prison (among the 157 others) who were granted by the National Council of State.
As contained in a statement by the public relations officer of the FCT command of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCOs), Chukwuedo Humphrey, the release is the 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 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 have interviewed all inmates based on deteriorating health status, age as well as good behaviour and industry during the period of serving their sentences.’’
See photos of when they walked out of the Kuje Correctional Centre below:
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