Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, who are currently serving terms in jail for corruption have been freed after being granted a state pardon by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Both men were convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court back in 2018.
The Punch reported that the former governors were among 159 prisoners pardoned by the National Council of State at a meeting presided over by Buhari on Thursday, April 14, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Nyame, governor of Taraba state from 1999 to 2007, was serving a 12-year jail term at the Kuje Custodial Centre for misappropriation of funds to the tune of N1.6bn while he was in office.
While Dariye, who governed Plateau between 1999 and 2007, was jailed for stealing N2 billion of public funds during his time as governor. According to a presidential source, Dariye and Nyame were pardoned based on health and age grounds, Leadership added.
Among the beneficiaries of the pardon include Tajudeen Olanrewaju, a former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Akiyode, an army lieutenant colonel who was an aide of former deputy to General Abacha, Oladipo Diya; and all the junior officers jailed over the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup.
The council meeting also had in attendance former military heads of state and past presidents, including Abdusalami Abubakar, Goodluck Jonathan, and Yakubu Gowon.
A northern group identified as The Movement For A New Arewa urged Buhari to extend presidential pardon to the former Plateau state governor.
The group said that if the north was to return to its past glory, the likes of Dariye must be released from prison to join in the peacebuilding process.
Section 175 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999) empowers the president to pardon convicts.