The National Council of State has ratified the presidential pardon granted to a former governor of the defunct Bendel State, Ambrose Alli, and three others.
President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the virtual meeting from the Presidential Villa, Abuja where the ratification was made.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), disclosed the outcome of the meeting to State House correspondents.
Alli was said to have been convicted by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983,000 meant for a road project and sentenced to 100 years in prison.
According to Wikipedia, he was later freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine of N1m to the government.
Shortly after being released from prison, Alli died on his 60th birthday on September 22, 1989.
Others who got presidential pardon, according to Malami, are Col. Moses Effiong and Major E.J Olarenwaju who were convicted for their attempted coup to topple Babangida’s regime as well as Ajayi Babalola.
Malami said the ratification was based on a memorandum he presented to the council relating to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
He said, “The memo presented for consultation in line with one of the constitutional requirements and consideration of granting of pardon to 45 persons: two inmates for pardon, 39 inmates for clemency and four ex-convicts for presidential pardon.
The council has as its members the President, who is the Chairman; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is the Deputy Chairman; all former Presidents alive, all former Heads of the Government of the Federation alive; all former Chief Justices of Nigeria; the President of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; all the state governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
While former President Goodluck Jonathan joined Buhari to attend the meeting physically, former Head of the Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan and three former military Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Abdusalami Abubakar and Ibrahim Babangida, attended virtually while Obasanjo was absent.
