Kaduna Governor Grants Clemency to 27 Inmates for Independence Anniversary

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has granted clemency to 27 inmates to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, according to a statement issued by the state government. Commissioner for Information and Culture Ahmed Maiyaki said the latest intervention brought the number of beneficiaries since Sani assumed office to more than 500. The exercise covers correctional facilities across Kaduna State.

The statement said the programme included the release of eligible inmates and the payment of fines and compensation. More than N300 million in fines and compensation for victims has been paid since 2023, it said. State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Sir James Kanyip said the exercise reflected the governor’s practice of extending mercy to deserving inmates on national occasions.

Previous exercises had taken place on New Year’s Day, Democracy Day and Independence Day, he said. Kanyip said the prerogative of mercy was exercised through established processes that considered accountability, rehabilitation and the responsibilities attached to freedom. He said beneficiaries were expected to return to society with a renewed sense of responsibility and an appreciation of their obligations to others.

The government described the payment of fines and compensation as an effort to give the clemency programme a restorative-justice dimension. It said the payments could remove barriers preventing deserving inmates from being released while recognising the interests of victims. The statement said the administration’s approach was based on the view that public safety, human dignity, rehabilitation and the possibility of redemption should all form part of the justice system.

It added that clemency was not limited to ending detention, but also offered beneficiaries an opportunity to reconnect with their families and communities. The Kaduna government said it would continue supporting rehabilitation, reconciliation and the reintegration of deserving inmates. It said its wider objective was a justice system that protects society, respects victims’ interests and allows deserving individuals to become responsible and productive members of their communities.