Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Reprieve has come the way of five inmates serving various prison terms in Delta State as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has approved total pardon for them.
The governor also approved that terms of 30 other inmates on death row should be commuted to life imprisonment.
Those five inmates granted total pardon include Livinus Ugwu who was sentenced to 20 years, Enebeli Dike, a condemned convict, Orji Pascal who is serving a 10-year jail term, Moses Agedah who was also on death row and Martins Ishiekwene, a prisoner sentenced to death on November 30, 1998.
A statement from the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barr. Peter Mrakpor, stated that the governor granted the approvals in the exercise of his Prerogative of Mercy under Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
Mrakpor added that the governor took the action in the spirit of Easter as well as pleas from several international and local quarters including Amnesty International.
The commissioner explained that the governor acted in accordance with constitutional powers based on the recommendations of the 7-Man Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy headed by Patrick Okpakpor.
Mrakpor stated that the present administration is irrevocably committed to better the lives of the people including prisoners as there are various rehabilitation programmes through skill acquisitions, trainings and other empowerment schemes geared towards their reintegration back to society.