Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has pardoned and released 53 convicts serving various sentences within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The decision, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, followed the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
A letter of commutation, dated December 24, 2024, and addressed to the relevant prison authorities, indicated that the pardoned inmates had either spent a minimum of 10 years in custody or were on death row.
Governor Adeleke cited constitutional powers conferred on him under Section 212(1)(a), (c), and (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to exercise the prerogative of mercy.
“Now know ye therefore that, I, Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the Governor of Osun State of Nigeria, in exercise of the power conferred on me… am pleased to extend my grace and mercy unto the said inmates,” the letter stated.
The governor directed that the death sentences, life imprisonment, and other sentences of the affected inmates be commuted as specified in the attached schedule.
This move underscores the governor’s commitment to justice reform and the reintegration of reformed inmates into society.
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