Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has granted amnesty to 68 inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service in the state.
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A statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Ogbajie Ogbajie,indicated that 22 inmates were pardoned from Uyo Custodial Centre, 17 each from Ikot Ekpene and Eket centres, while 12 were freed from the Ikot Abasi centre.
“The governor’s action was necessitated by the need to decongest the Correctional Service centres in keeping with the social distancing protocol aimed at curbing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” he said.
He said that the governor’s action followed recommendation from the state’s command of the Nigerian Correctional Service
The statement quoted Emmanuel as admonishing the freed inmates to be of good conduct and stay away from crime.
It also quoted Mr Alex Oditah, the Controller of Correctional Services in the state, as apreciating the Governor for his magnanimity and urging him to make amnesty a continuous exercise.