Enugu Independence Day Pardon: Governor Mbah Frees, Commutes Sentences of 13 Inmates

ENUGU, NIGERIA—In celebration of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved the official pardon, immediate release, and commutation of sentences for 13 inmates across various Nigerian Correctional Centres within the state.

The executive action was taken in accordance with Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), following formal consultations with the Enugu State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.

According to an official statement released on Independence Day by the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Uche Anichukwu, the executive approval has been formally transmitted to the Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Enugu State Command.

The directive was conveyed by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Osinachi Nnajieze.

List of Beneficiaries

The 13 beneficiary inmates impacted by the governor’s prerogative of mercy include:

• Kenneth Ozioko
• Moses Saliyat
• Promise Ndudim Olung
• Chijioke Ugwu
• Samuel Ani
• Eugene Odo
• Celsus Emeachi
• Caleb Jatto
• Calistus Eze
• Gabriel Onu
• Timothy Ani
• Ernest Okeke
• Ejike Nwodo

While some of the listed inmates received absolute pardons leading to their immediate release, others who were previously facing capital punishment had their death sentences successfully commuted to life imprisonment.

State officials confirmed that Governor Mbah’s intervention was strictly predicated on documented medical reports highlighting severe ill health, as well as verified evidence of character reformation during incarceration.

The decisions followed stringent evaluations and subsequent recommendations submitted by the Nigerian Correctional Service to the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy. The Council is chaired by the State Attorney-General, Osinachi Nnajieze, and includes key stakeholders from the justice sector, including the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Carmelite Prisoners Interest Organisation (CAPIO), and the Catholic Institute for Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP).

Constitutional Framework

The legal basis for this state action rests on Section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers a state governor to grant absolute or conditional pardons, respite punishments, or substitute less severe sentences for offences created by state laws. Section 212 (2) mandates that such powers must only be exercised after structured deliberations with the state’s established advisory council on the prerogative of mercy.