Stolen N2.7bn public funds: Jailed ex-Govs Dariye, Nyame get presidential pardon

President Muhammadu Buhari gave a sweeping pardon following the approval of his request to the nation’s Council of States meeting on Thursday in Abuja. Dariye had put his hands in the coffers of Plateau state and stole N1.16 billion while Nyame bolted with N1.6 billion while they served as governors.

Although the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami (SAN) did not disclose the identities of the governors who were pardoned for graft at his Thursday media briefing, Plateau Commissioner for Information, Mr Dan Manjang, confirmed Dariye’s pardon.

“The ex-governor has been given a second chance.

“Every Plateau man is happy about it and we give kudos to the President for honouring us in this manner.

“We want to also thank whoever that has a hand in making it happen because everybody makes mistakes and you can make errors while in governance.

“As of today, he (Dariye ) has been given a reprieve as if nothing has happened and that is the spirit we have to imbibe as a people that when we make mistakes, we have to forgive because nobody is above error,” he told newsmen on Friday.

Malami had said the council approved 159 out of 162 applications presented for consideration for the prerogative of mercy for convicts and inmates in correctional facilities nationwide.

According to Malami, the council rejected a proposal to grant pardon to one of the prisoners sentenced to 120 years for theft of over N25bn. The pardon, he said, was sought on health grounds.

He, however, kept mum over the identity of a prisoner whose pardon was not approved but a top Presidency source identified a former Managing Director of Platinum Habib Bank, Francis Atuche, as the prisoner.

Also, the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Prof. Joseph Kunini, has hailed Nyame’s pardon.

Persecondnews recalls that both Dariye and Nyame were convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2018. Dariye, who was governor from 1999 to 2007, was jailed for laundering public funds to the tune of N1.162bn and was sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice Banjoko who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

Dariye’s prison term was later reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Rev Nyame, who was governor of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.