By Emmanuel Nduka
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has granted Presidential Pardon to Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame, a former Governor of Taraba State.
The duo were granted pardons on the grounds of age and ill health at a Council of State meeting presided over by Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
The former governors were among 159 inmates pardoned.
Another beneficiary of the pardon is Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former military general and Minister under the Sani Abacha regime.
It would be recalled that the 66-year-old Nyame, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for diverting public funds, was convicted and jailed in 2018 for 14 years, after a trial that lasted 11 years.
The EFCC had accused him of diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure as Governor of Taraba between 1999 and 2007.
However, his sentence was later reduced to 12 years by the supreme court in February 2020.
Dariye on his part who was a former Senator representing Plateau Central District, was also sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2018 for N1.126 billion fraud. But a court of appeal reduced his term by four years. The verdict was also affirmed by the supreme court.
Dariye, 64, served as Governor between 1999 and 2007.
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