Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Sunday, invoked his constitutional power of Prerogative of Mercy to free seven inmates serving various terms of imprisonment in the state. He also commuted seven death sentences to life imprisonment as part of the new year celebration.
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday in Akure by Charles Titiloye, Ondo State attorney-general/commissioner for justice and chairman of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
The statement partly reads; “the governor in the exercise of the power conferred on him by paragraphs (a) (c) and (d) of sub-selection (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) directed the Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service in Ondo to release and set free, the said seven inmates in the facilities of the Correctional Center in Ondo state.
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“The decision of the governor was pursuant to the recommendation of the state Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy that the inmates have undergone reformation at the correctional centre and they are of good conduct.
“The governor also reduced the period of imprisonment of 11 inmates. Seven of the inmates sentenced to death by hanging have their conviction reduced to life imprisonment while the years of imprisonment of the remaining four inmates were reduced.
“The governor urged the released inmates to see their release as another chance to live a good life devoid of crime. The governor called on the good citizen of Ondo State to avoid any act of discrimination against the released inmate and integrate them back to their communities.”
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