Dariye, Nyame release from prison after state’s pardon

Former Plateau and Taraba states governors Joshua Dariye, and Jolly Nyame were released from prison where they have been serving various jail terms following their conviction and sentencing for corruption on Monday.

Their release from Kuje Prison came following the pardon granted them by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Council of State on April 14.

Recall that the council approved the pardon of 159 convicts including Dariye and Nyame who were separately convicted for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion respectively.

It was learnt that three others whose identities could not be immediately ascertained were also released from Suleja Prison in Niger State.

Dariye and Nyame were convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2018.

Dariye governed Plateau State from 1999 to 2007. He was found guilty of laundering public funds to the tune of N1.162 billion and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

His prison term was later reduced to 10 years by the appellate court in Abuja while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Nyame, on the other hand, was governor of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing N1.6 billion. The case went up to the apex court which affirmed his conviction.

Their release was confirmed by the spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Humphrey Chukwuedo.

He said that the former governors were not released till now after they were granted pardon since April because the Service could not just release them based on verbal pronouncements.

“There was a process of documentation when they came. We received certain written instructions to that effect. So, we could not just release them without also receiving written instructions to that effect. It is a procedure”, he explained.