Senator Joshua Dariye, a former governor of Plateau State, has been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre.
A former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame was also released from the centre alongside Dariye, on Monday.
Their release follows the pronouncement of a presidential pardon on them by the Council of State led by President Muhammadu Buhari, together with 157 others on April 14, 2022.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
Both Dariye and Nyame were convicted for corrupt practices and embezzlement of state funds during their time as governors, and were sentenced to different jail terms.
While Dariye was convicted of stealing N1.16bn, Nyame was found guilty of embezzling N1.6bn public funds by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Abuja High Court in 2018.
Dariye, who served as governor of Plateau from 1999 to 2007, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
However, his term was reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
For Nyame, who was governor of Taraba from 1999 to 2007, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing N1.6bn in a judgment that was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the presidential pardon granted the former governors attracted wide condemnation from Nigerians, who posited that the duo were being treated lightly due to their affiliations with the all Progressives Congress.
