Femi Falana, Human rights lawyer has slammed the state pardon granted to 159 prisoners in Nigeria, including two former governors convicted of corruption.
Condemning the pardon of the former governors and other 157 prisoners, Falana said the government should release all prisoners who have been jailed for stealing. He spoke at the one-year remembrance of late Yinka Odumakin and the launching of Yinka Odumakin Foundation, in Lagos on Friday.
The Council of State had on Thursday granted a state pardon to a former governor of Taraba State, Rev Jollly Nyame who was jailed for corruption after the expiration of his tenure between 1999 and 2007.
It also pardoned the former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye. He was convicted in June 2018 by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. In November 2018, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to 10 years, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court in March last year.
Dariye and Nyame were convicted of stealing N1.16bn and N1.6bn, respectively, funds belonging to their states.
The Council of State meeting on Thursday was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“They are pardoning themselves now, the same man who said he came to fight corruption now grants pardon to a man who has stolen billions of Naira,” Falana said.
They were said to have been freed on the Council’s exercise of its prerogative of mercy for convicts.
“My reaction is that all criminals, all thieves and criminals in our prisons should be released.
“Under section 17 of their constitution, it says there shall be an equal right to all citizens and section 42 said there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class, gender, whatever, so you cannot take out two people and leave the rest there.
“If the government doesn’t release others, I am going to suggest to lawyers whose clients are likely to be left in prison to go to court and challenge the discriminatory treatment meted out to their own clients.
“If you want to pardon your friends, you must also extend the presidential pardon to all thieves because if the big thieves are being asked to walk away, we must also extend it to others,” Falana said.
