President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Thursday flagged-off the 2020 Presidential Pardon and Clemency.
The event was held on Thursday at Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
The pardon, recently approved by Buhari, was fast-tracked to decongest prisons amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
In statement by Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media, Malami assured his office would ensure the reform and decongestion of correctional centres in Nigeria.
Malami explained that the process of coming up with the list of beneficiaries commenced in 2018 after the inauguration of Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
In carrying out the assignment, the Minister said that the committee adopted the use of interviews, observations, consultation and relevant documents called for and received from each of the Correctional Centres in Nigeria.
The AGF recalled that the Committee visited a number of Correctional Centres in the six geo-political zones of the country to interact and identify those eligible for Presidential Pardon/Clemency.
Malami said that upon conclusion of the assignment, a report of the Committee, containing the list of beneficiaries considered and recommended for Pardon or Clemency was submitted for the information and necessary action by Mr. President.
“Out of the 176 persons interviewed, Presidential Pardon has been granted to 2 inmates. Mr. President granted clemency to 39 inmates as recommended by the PACPM out of which 4 inmates are from Kuje Correctional Centre.
‘In addition, Mr. President has also graciously granted Pardon to 5 ex-convicts. My office will take necessary steps to publish the names of these beneficiaries in the Federal Gazette in line with extant laws and Regulations,” he said.
The Minister said that in furtherance to the efforts to put COVID-19 under control, Mr. President requested appropriate authorities to embark on a visit to all correctional/custodial centres within their respective states to identify and release deserving inmates.
“During the visit, there should be conditional or unconditional release of ATPs who have spent a substantial number of years in custody especially those with no sufficient legal basis to remain in custody,” he said.
Malami warned all the beneficiaries of the Presidential Pardon and Clemency to desist from crime and criminality and be of good behaviour.
“You must rewrite your individual life stories. You must rebuild broken walls in your dignity by diligently using the experience and various empowerments and trainings received while in custody positively to better your lots to the fullest,” the AGF urged.
He reiterated the need to identify new measures to consciously reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian custodial centres beyond the control of COVID-19 scourge.
“We must primarily look into the cases of persons awaiting trial and individuals convicted of minor offences for which fines were the
penalty.
“It is particularly worrisome that about 70% of the inmates in Nigerian prisons are persons awaiting trial and canvassed for the use of non-custodial measures in line with the provisions of the ACJA, 2015 and the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019,” Malami added.
