Benue gov grants pardon to six prisoners

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has granted pardons to six inmates serving at the Nigerian Correctional facility in Makurdi the state capital.

The clemency is granted from the recommendation by the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy headed by the Hon. Atorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Benue State, Fidelis Bemsen Mnyim, Esq., ACArb.

Among the six freed inmates is Mr. Umar Dansabe, who was on death row and had spent over 14 years in the correctional facility.

Mr Danasabe was sentenced to death by hanging by the State High Court over an armed robbery operation where he snatched a hand phone from a woman at Gyado villa in makurdi and sold it at sixteen thousand naira.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, said section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) empowered the Governor through the Advisory Council on Prerogative of mercy to pardon some inmates who have shown genuine change and remorse by exhibiting good character worthy to cohabit with other members of the society to be reintegrated.

Granting the pardon, the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Justice, explained that the action was based purely on the recommendation and testimonies of people who cut across the clergy and good-spirited individuals who interacted with the inmates at the prison. He said his action had no political connotations.

The governor said that the freed inmates had been empowered with various skills acquisition to make them self-reliant and useful to society, adding that the government had made available programmes that are geared towards reforming and empowering the youths with relevant skills to be useful to themselves, which the inmates can take advantage of.

Governor Alia called on the pardoned inmates to turn a new leaf and take advantage of the opportunity provided to them to learn various skills at the Makurdi correctional facility and Makurdi f

shion hub and the various interventions of his administration to better their lives.

The commissioner for Justice and Public Order said that over thirty applications were received by the commission from the correctional services and private individuals who had interacted with the inmates.

He added, “Having observed their sincerity of heart and commitment to change, the governor of Benue State has graciously freed six inmates based on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission on the prerogative of Mercy.”