Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has ordered the release of 12 convicts in celebration of the New Year 2021.
This is an exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 212 of the constitution and on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, the pardoned convicts comprises of 10 people who were serving sentences of three years and above, with six months or less to serve.
Adekeye further said that the other two convicts that were pardoned “were convicts who were released on the ground of age.”
“Tunde Ikuenaya was imprisoned on November 16, 2017, for four years for criminal misappropriation, adding that he is 64 years old and he was expected to be released on March 16, 2021.’’
“Ifeanyi Chiebuike Nweke, Mohammed Mamman Santare, and Samaila Danjuma were convicted and sentenced at various times for culpable homicide,’’ the statement revealed.
The governor also commuted Joshua Yashim’s death sentence to life imprisonment, Adekeye said, explaining that the convict was sentenced to death by hanging for culpable homicide on June 9, 2011.
“He has been in prison custody since 2007 when the offence was committed and has spent 13 years there. He did not appeal due to a lack of funds.
