Anthony Enahoro and Ambrose Alli also get posthumous presidential pardon

President Muhammad Buhari on Thursday granted presidential pardon to about 2,600 inmates doing time in correctional facilities and custodial centres across the country.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who disclosed this at a world news conference in Abuja, said, Of the 26,000 Inmates, 70 will be released from Kuje maximum custodial centre today (Thursday).

Aregbesola explained that the Presidential pardon was consequent upon the recommendations to the President by a Presidential Committee and the importance of decongesting the custodian centres across the country in the wake of  COVID 19 pandemic

Aregbesola said the gesture was based on compassionate ground.

The ministers of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed were also at the conference.

Also pardoned by the president are the former governor of old Bendel State, late Prof Ambrose Alli and a foremost nationalist, late Chief Anthony Enahoro.

He said three other high profile persons also benefitted from the presidential amnesty. He added that the gesture means that they were never convicted.