Ajimobi pardons 21 prisoners

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has pardoned 21 convicts to mark Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary celebrations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was made known in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka on Saturday in Ibadan .

He said the development was in exercise of the governor’s power of prerogative of mercy in pursuant to the provisions of section 212 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Seven persons were granted release from prison, having spent varying terms of their sentences.

“Thirteen had their death sentences reduced to a term of years, having spent considerable terms in prison, while one person had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment,’’ he said.

Layinka said that the records of the benefitting convicts suggested that they had undergone reforms.

He said that some of them had, while in incarceration, passed their General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations and obtained first degree certificates from the National Open University.

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“Some of them are also at varying stages of completion of their degree courses in different courses at NOUN,’’ the spokesperson said.

Layinka said the governor hoped his gesture would be reciprocated by the beneficiaries by maintaining good conduct and becoming useful to themselves and the society at large.