Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has granted amnesty to eight prisoners serving various sentences in Uyo, Calabar, Ikot-Ekpene and Port Harcourt to commemorate the New Year celebration.
He also converted the death sentence of six other inmates to life imprisonment while donating N10m to other inmates for medical attention.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Akpabio made the announcement when he visited Uyo Prisons on Friday, January 2, 2014.
Those pardoned from Uyo, Calabar and Ikot-Ekpene Prisons were Ofonime Udoh, Mbong Udobong, Akpan Akpan, Uweh Okon, Emmanuel Inyang, Udo Isonguyo, Bassey George and Edem Etim.
The six converted from death to life imprisonment were Ndifreke Ekanem, Samuel Ekanem, Patrick Ekene, Oduok Jimmy, Charles Isong and Eyakeno Imoh serving in Port Harcourt Prisons.
He noted that the Nigerian Constitution empowered him to grant pardon to any prisoner in the country.
“I advise those pardoned to be of good behaviour so that they will be fully integrated into the society,” he said.
Akpabio, who decried the living conditions of the prisoners, directed the Controller of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Dr. Regina Akpan, to liaise with the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem for assistance.
