Findings have revealed that the federal and state government pardoned 707 prisoners between January 1 and December 31, 2022.
This comes as data from the Ministry of Interior shows that between 2015 and 2022, there were 18,805 more prisoners housed in the nation’s various detention facilities.
According to the paper, titled ‘A documentation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration scorecard (2015-2023),’ there were 56,704 convicts in 2015, but the total grew to 75,509 in 2022.
Similarly, it was stated that 3,145 convicts are on death row, with 3,084 males and 61 females.
It was also revealed that, state governors pardoned inmates based on recommendations or after due negotiations with the state Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
The decision was made as part of an effort to decongest some of the overcrowded correctional facilities.
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu pardoned 26 convicts from its detention facilities in January and October.
The Presidency pardoned 159 detainees in April, including former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye and Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State pardoned 40 convicts in June.
In a similar move, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri pardoned six inmates.
In honor of Eid el Kabir, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje gave pardons to around 90 detainees across Kano’s correctional facilities in July.
Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari issued a pardon in September.
In October, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed pardoned 153 criminals for minor offenses, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pardoned 46 inmates from various correctional facilities across the state.
In November, it was reported that the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, pardoned 181 convicts from the state’s three penitentiary facilities.
On December 31, Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle pardoned 46 convicts serving various prison sentences in the state.
