Former governors Dariye and Nyame, pardoned from prison

dariye

Jolly Nyame and Dariye have been released

Taraba and Plateau state former governors Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye have been set free from the correctional centre in Kuje, Abuja. President Buhari had earlier given his approval for the release of the two Former governors and 159 other inmates three months ago. The president’s approval of this, however, met lots of controversies. Dariye and Nyame were released, around 2:15 pm, on August 8 2022.

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It was gathered from close relatives of the released ex-governors, that the necessary official procedures were finished by 10 am on Monday, after which, they were released into the warm arms of their families. Nyame, the Taraba state former governor, was supposed to serve a 14 years jail term for pocketing state funds into his personal account. The ex-governor, who was sentenced in 2018, was indicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He was as well given a directive to return the stolen money (about 1.6 billion Naira) he coveted from the state treasury. 

The court ruling which lasted for over 5 hours, due to the testimonies against Mr Nyame, was finally preceded by the Judge, Adebukola Banjoko, who gave the final judgement and convicted Nyame to 14 years Imprisonment for misuse of public funds, and abuse of public trust. After the judgement was passed, Mr Nyame was said to have stayed in the courtroom for over 20 minutes, before he finally left.

Joshua Dariye of Plateau, on the other hand, was sentenced to 10 years jail term, in 2021, for criminal misuse of funds, and criminal abuse of public trust. The ex-governor representing Plateau central, in the National assembly, before his apprehension by the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), was said to ransack about 2 billion Naira worth of loot during his tenure as Plateau state governor, which lasted between 1999-2007.

Adebukola Banjoko once again sentenced Dariye to 14 years of Imprisonment following his criminal misappropriation and breach of trust on June 12, 2021. But after Dariye’s plea against the judgement, the appeal Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, reduced the jail term to 10 years.

Recall that the Abia State former governor, Orji Uzor Kalu was also released on June 2 2020, following an appeal by a senior advocate of Nigeria, Lateef Fagbemi, Kalu’s lawyer, who prayed that the Abia State former governor be released. Mr Kalu, who was indicted for defrauding the Abia State government, by using his company Slok Nigeria Limited to dupe Abians, was sequently released as the count charges against him were squashed.

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