Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has granted pardon to six inmates serving various jail terms across the state’s correctional facilities.
This is to as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary.
The governor, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Yola by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Humwashi Wonosikou, said the gesture followed recommendations from the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
Fintiri stressed that the action was in line with his constitutional powers to exercise the prerogative of mercy, adding that the decision was guided by evidence of good conduct and signs of rehabilitation among the inmates.
“In the exercise of my prerogative of mercy as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have granted pardon to six persons. These people were serving various jail terms and demonstrated good conduct over the years,” the governor stated.
The governor ordered the immediate release of the six beneficiaries, directing prison authorities and relevant agencies to give full effect to the pardon.
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Those freed include Wamari Godwin and Abraham Marksunil from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Mubi; David Paul from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Numan; Ibrahim Adamu from the Satellite Custodial Facility, Maiha; Usman Inuwa from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yola; and Sani Yahaya from the Satellite Custodial Facility, Ganye.
This is not the first time Fintiri has extended clemency to inmates. In recent years, the governor has consistently used national events such as Independence Day and Democracy Day to grant pardons.
In 2020, he ordered the release of 171 prisoners as part of efforts to decongest overcrowded correctional centres, while in 2022 he commuted a death sentence to life imprisonment and freed six others.
Analysts say the latest pardon reflects his administration’s broader push for humane justice, prison decongestion, and reintegration of reformed inmates into society.
However, human rights advocates stress that long-term reforms are still required to address systemic issues in Nigeria’s correctional facilities, such as overcrowding, trial delays, and inadequate rehabilitation programs.
With the release of the six inmates, Fintiri has again demonstrated his preference for balancing justice with compassion, using national occasions as a platform to underscore his commitment to fairness and second chances.
Crediblenewsng.com
