Governors from four Nigerian states have collectively granted pardons to more than 120 inmates since January, as part of concentrated efforts to address the critical overcrowding situation in the nation’s correctional facilities.
The mercy initiative, implemented by state executives from Ondo, Cross River, Plateau, and Enugu, comes against the backdrop of alarming congestion statistics revealing that Nigeria’s prison population has reached 79,669 inmates significantly exceeding the system’s designed capacity of approximately 50,000.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has been at the forefront of this decongestion drive, pardoning 83 inmates across two separate clemency exercises conducted on January 12 and February 25. His administration’s approach included commuting death sentences for 15 inmates and reducing terms for 20 others, demonstrating what correctional reform advocates describe as a commitment to reformative justice principles.
In Cross River and Plateau states, Governors Bassey Otu and Caleb Mutfwang jointly extended mercy to 56 inmates on January 11, while Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State began the year by releasing seven inmates and granting parole to one other, exercising constitutional powers of mercy under Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution.
These pardons represent a response to the pressing challenges highlighted by Comptroller-General Sylvester Nwakuche of the Nigerian Correctional Service, who recently disclosed that 52,771 inmates approximately two-thirds of the prison population remain in pretrial detention, primarily for serious offences such as armed robbery and murder.
Nwakuche identified governors’ reluctance to either execute or commute death sentences as a contributing factor to the overcrowding crisis, noting that the number of death row inmates increased from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 by March 2025.
Legal experts consulted by KIIN360 observe that while these pardons represent a positive step toward addressing immediate congestion issues, they constitute only a partial solution to the systemic challenges facing Nigeria’s correctional system.
“The release of 120 inmates, while significant for those individuals and their families, represents less than 0.2 percent of the total prison population,” noted Barrister Chijioke Nwosu, a criminal justice reform advocate. “Comprehensive judicial reforms and alternative sentencing measures are needed alongside these pardons to create sustainable improvements.”
The governors’ actions align with growing calls from civil society organizations for Nigeria to implement more extensive correctional reforms, including expediting trials, expanding alternative sentencing options, and improving rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism rates.
As the pardoned inmates begin their reintegration into society, correctional authorities have emphasized the importance of community support systems to ensure successful transitions and minimize the likelihood of reoffending.
FOUR STATE GOVERNORS PARDON OVER 120 INMATES IN BID TO TACKLE PRISON CONGESTION
