The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has pardoned ex-Governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba states respectively, following their conviction on corruption charges.
Dariye and Nyame were found guilty of siphoning N1.16bn and N1.6bn respectively.
The decision to pardon both men on health and age grounds, was taken during the Council of State meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2021.
Confirming Dariye’s release, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang in an interview with The Punch said the ex-gov has been given a new lease of life.
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“Every Plateau man is happy about it and we give kudos to the President for honouring us in this manner. We want to also thank whoever that has a hand in making it happen because everybody makes mistakes and you can make errors while in governance.
“As of today, he (Dariye ) has been given a reprieve as if nothing has happened and that is the spirit we have to imbibe as a people that when we make mistakes, we have to forgive because nobody is above error.”
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Also a spokesman for Dariye, Christopher John also confirmed his release alongside his former colleague, Nyame, stating, “We are so excited about this. We’ve been expecting for a long time and fortunately, it has come at this time.
“We thank God and the government for granting him this pardon. The Nigerian system has made many court judgments unreliable. You can be roped into things you know nothing about.
“I believe that it is the will of God for him to be released. I don’t trust the Nigerian court system. Jolly Nyame was also released and we thank God. It has nothing to do with them being in the APC. It was even the PDP that charged them to court. The APC was not in power when this thing started. We know the genesis.”
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Dariye, who governed Plateau State from 1999 to 2007, was convicted by Justice Banjoko for laundering public funds to the tune of N1.162bn and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Dariye’s sentence was later cut to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Rev Jolly Nyame who was governor of Taraba State from 1999-2007, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for siphoning N1.6bn from the state’s coffers, a judgment which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
Others pardoned include military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, an army lieutenant colonel, Akiyode, a one-time aide of former deputy to General Abacha, Oladipo Diya; and all the junior officers jailed over the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup.