Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has granted amnesty, at differing levels, to 15 various offenders serving various sentences in different prisons in the state.
Mr. Oluseun Abimbola, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice made the disclosure in Ibadan on Tuesday.
Abimbola said that 11 convicts would enjoy either outright release or reduction in sentences while four others had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
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“The governor, in exercise of his powers under section 212 of the 1999 Constitution, granted the amnesty.
“This is on the recommendation of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, headed by the Attorney-General as part of the events that commemorated Nigeria’s 58th independence,” he said.
He commended the gesture of the governor, hoping that those to be released, by reason of their good behaviour, would reciprocate with good behaviour as they would reintegrate into the society.
“We expect them to transform to become upstanding members of society as they would have learnt useful lessons from their time of incarceration to know that crime does not pay.
“The exercise of the prerogative of mercy by the governor is a constitutional, carefully and responsibly reviewed to ensure the exercise retains its credibility.”