Behold! The State In Nigeria Where A Death Row Prisoner Gets Freedom Plus N1m Bonus

The Governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, has constitutionally displayed the power of prerogative of mercy vested on him to veto the death sentence of a prisoner and also releasing 25 prisoners with a take home package of N1m to each of them.

According to The Punch, 25 prisoners in Anambra State on Thursday regained freedom following the amnesty granted to them by the state governor, to mark the 55th anniversary of the country’s independence.
Those, who benefited from the governor’s amnesty package, which was announced with a lifeline of N1m, were from Awka, Onitsha and Aguata prisons.

The state governor, made this known while speaking on Independence day, he said, “Brothers and sisters, I see hope for Anambra State. I see hope for Nigeria. It is along this line that I have decided to give hope to the hopeless amongst us by exercising my powers of prerogative of mercy and granting amnesty to 25 prisoners serving different terms in the three prisons in Anambra State.”

One of the strong beneficiaries, Innocent Okeke was sentenced to death, but was later commuted to life imprisonment before he was finally freed on Thursday by the governor.
Obiano also said government would give the 25 beneficiaries of the amnesty training in the state vocational skill acquisition centre after which they would be given N1m as a lifeline to enable them become self-employed and contribute to the society.