Sanwo-Olu, Matawalle Grant Amnesty to 143 Inmates

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Zamfara State counterpart, Alhaji Bello Matawalle have granted pardon to 143 inmates currently serving different jail terms in their states.

While Sanwo-Olu pardoned 104 inmates in the five custodial centres across the state, Matawalle showed mercy to 39 inmates convicted of various offences at the Gusau Medium Security in the state.

The decisions were revealed in separate statements signed by the Attorney-General of Lagos State Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) and the Attorney General of Zamfara State, Alhaji Junaidu Aminu yesterday.

In his own statement, Onigbanjo signed the release order on December 28 based on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.

Onigbanjo added that the gesture was also in compliance with Section 212 (1) (2) of the 1999 Constitution (amended) which empowers the governor to exercise the prerogative of mercy.

The Advisory Council relied on information provided by the correctional authorities, the nature of the offence, period of incarceration, age, health and behavioural conduct of the inmates.

 “The approval for the release of the inmates is in line with the commitment of the Lagos State Government to decongest correctional facilities in Lagos State as part of the Justice Sector Reforms,” the statement added.

In another statement, the governor of Zamfara State said effecting the release of the inmates, the intervention was part of his administration’s goodwill across sectors in the state.

He disclosed that the process started sometimes in March this year with screening of the inmates by a committee led by the state attorney general.

The governor explained that only inmates that had imbibed good character were put forward for the intervention.

Reports revealed that 46 inmates were carefully selected by the committee from different categories of sentences, including 46 inmates serving between six months and 20 years imprisonment, 11 inmates with life imprisonment and five that are on death row.

Out of the screened inmates, 30 with sentences of between six months to 20 years and nine others with life imprisonment were set free through the intervention, while the five inmates on death row had their sentences reduced to seven years jail term.

The governor called on the affected inmates to make good use of the advantage by exhibiting good character within the society.

Some of the inmates interviewed pledged to continue to imbibe responsible attributes, promising to contribute their quota toward the development of the state.