The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Thursday, granted state pardon to 10 inmates on death row across various Correctional Centres in the state.
The governor commuted the death sentence of the 10 condemned inmates who were awaiting execution to life imprisonment while five inmates serving life imprisonment had their status commuted to various terms.
The move by the governor was made in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day on June 12, 2020.
Meanwhile, 13 other convicted inmates serving jail terms across the medium correctional facilities in the state also benefited from the governor’s gesture as they were freed after serving part of their terms.
According to a statement issued and signed by Segun Ajiboye, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, it was stated that the pardon granted is within the governor’s power of Prerogative of Mercy as enshrined in Section 212(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
The statement reads, “In exercise of the powers conferred on him by Paragraph (d) of sub-section (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as Amended, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has granted amnesty to 28 inmates of the Federal Correctional Custodial Centres.
“This gesture is in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day on June 12, 2020.
“In a letter addressed to the Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service, State Headquarters, Federal Secretariat Complex, Akure, Governor Akeredolu ordered that 13 of the inmates be discharged out of the facility accordingly and forthwith, while 10 on death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment and 5 on life imprisonment were commuted to various terms of imprisonment.
“The 13 inmates serving various terms of imprisonment were pardoned having served substantial portions of their sentences.
“In the same vein, the ten (10) condemned inmates had been duly convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, while five (5) were equally, duly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
While charging them to make good use of the opportunity by their release and turn a new leaf, Akeredolu admonished them to desist from acts capable of seeing them back to prison.
