Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has pardoned five prisoners in Anambra State Correctional Centres.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Mrs. Nkolika Anumonye.
According to the statement, the pardon was granted to the convicts to mark the New Year’s celebration.
Throwing more light on the guideline for the recommendation by the Attorney General and chairman, Anambra State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Barrister Uju Nwogu, Anumonye said “part of the criteria for their release was that the prisoners were serving various sentences with less than six months left of their prison terms.”
She said other criteria considered were “prisoners suffering from serious ill health likely to result in death, prisoners who are old persons of sixty years of age and above, young persons who are sixteen years of age and below, and those who have served more than half of their term with good records as well as long term prisoners who have served ten years and above.”
Anumonye explained that two hundred and five names of convicts were sent by the command while five convicts, one from Aguata, three from Nnewi and one from Onitsha correctional centres were considered after a critical examination of all the cases on their various categories.
The convicts, who were granted reprieve include Osinachi Eze from Izzi, Ebonyi state, Chibuzor Chukwudi a native of Ezima Amanuke- Anambra State, Johnpaul Nsofor Chnasa from Ihiala, Uwandu Daniel a native of Ugwuta II, Imo State and Basil Okon from Ikot Ekpene, Akwua Ibom state.
