Nyame and Dariye still in jail six days after controversial pardon
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Both former Governors Joshua Dariye (Plateau) and Jolly Nyame (Taraba) are still grinding their noses against their cells in the gulag, six days after Muhammadu Buhari granted them pardon that has further exposed the President’s hypocrisy.
Buhari granted them and 157 others pardon at a meeting of the National Council of State (NCS) in Aso Rock on 14 April.
However, The PUNCH learnt that they would not be released from custodial centres until authorised by federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami.
Dariye and Nyame were convicted in 2018 by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
Dariye, who governed Plateau from 1999 to 2007, was found guilty of laundering N1.12 billion public funds and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
His prison term was reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja but his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court in March 2021.
Nyame governed Taraba from 1999 to 2007. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing N1.64 billion from the treasury, a judgment also upheld by the Supreme Court in February 2020.
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No official word from Malami
Malami said when he announced the pardon on 14 April that the NCS approved 159 out of 162 applications presented for the prerogative of mercy for convicts and inmates in correctional facilities nationwide.
But Nigeria Correctional Service, Federal Capital Territory Command spokesman Humphrey Chukwuedo said their release is being delayed because there is no official approval from Malami.
“I’m in Kuje (custodial centre) now and up till now; we have not received any paper from the AGF. As soon as we get the necessary papers, we will release them.
“We don’t have any reasons to hold them once we get the directive from the AGF. We have not received the papers. As of now, they are still in our custody,” he told The PUNCH.
The pardon has elicited widespread criticism and derision from both corporate and individual civil rights and anti-corruption advocates who say Buhari has rubbished his own promise to end graft and instead encouraged it.
Wike says pardon makes EFCC, ICPC irrelevant
Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike said the pardon granted suggests there is no need to have anti-corruption agencies in the country.
He wondered how to explain the embarrassment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as the pardon makes them irrelevant.
Wike made the point when he spoke to delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kano on Monday as part of his consultation on the party’s presidential primary.
