COVID-19: 2 prisoners pardoned in PH, 60 others waiting approval

Tina Amanda

The Nigeria Correctional Service, Rivers State, has confirmed the release of two inmates that benefited from the Federal prisoners’ pardon list of President Muhammed Buhari.

The State prisons Comptroller, Olumide Tinuoye, who confirmed this in an interview with our correspondent, said the two Federal offenders released were qualified under the criteria of pardon list and were released on 9th April 2020.

He noted that over sixty names of inmates who are of state offenders are being compiled for the pardon list, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Attorney General of the state for verification and confirmation.

“Only two inmates who are Federal offenders were qualified and released under the criteria, we are not dealing with inmates who committed a big offense but those wit Minor offense. The State has more than sixty inmates on the pardon list, the list will go through screening to ensure that the inmates to be released are qualified to avoid the release of anyone who does not meet the criteria

“We will have to get confirmation and clarification from the state of inmates who are to benefit from the Presidential pardon because most of them are state offenders. We will submit the list to the state Attorney General for verification, we will also try to see if the inmates awaiting trial will be included in the list”

The Comptroller also confirmed that the names of inmates being compiled for the pardon list are those who will not pose risks to the society when released.