Late Prof Ambrose Alli, former Governor of old Bendel State and late Chief Anthony Enahoro have been granted a presidential pardon by President Buhari.
Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, made the announcement at a world news conference on Thursday in Abuja. He said the pardon means that Enahoro and Ambrose Alli were never convicted. He also announced that three other high profile convicts were among the 2600 inmates granted a presidential pardon nationwide.
The conference was attended by Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information.
70 inmates are expected to be released from Kuje maximum custodial centre on Thursday, April 9, 2020.
The Herald gathered that the move became expedient to control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The Kuje Custodial Centre which is home to high-profile inmates like former Abia governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Taraba governor, Jolly Nyame, former PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh are kept, is in Abuja.
ALSO READ: COVID-19: 90 percent of Patients recover without intervention – NCDC DG
Recall that the Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola disclosed last week that he met the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to work on a proposal for presentation to the president on decongestion of the custodial centres.
After this disclosure, President Muhammadu Buhari was rumoured to have granted amnesty to some inmates, sparking a riot at the Kaduna Custodial Centre, and reportedly leading to the death of four inmates.
Leave a Reply