To Justify Alamieyeseigha's Pardon, Jonathan Lists People Already Pardoned In 1999

In what appears a desperate and hurried move by President Goodluck Jonathan to justify the pardon of his former boss and ex-convict, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the president introduced names of other Nigerians who had been pardoned by previous governments.

When the Nigeria Council of State met on Tuesday, the president read out a list of some convicted Nigerians whom he would want pardoned.

Sources at the meeting said top on the list read by the president was Mr. Alamieyeseigha, and that "it was clear to all of us that he [Mr. Alamieyeseigha] was the target of the pardon."

Evidence has now shown that at least three other names pardoned by Mr. Jonathan and the Council had been pardoned by an earlier government.

Among those pardoned by the president are three former Army officers accused of coup plotting: Oladipo Diya, a former Chief of General Staff; Major-General Abdulkareem Adisa; and Major Fadipe.

The three men had been pardoned earlier by the Abdusalam Abubakar administration. The retired soldiers accused of coup plotting by late Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, were pardoned by Mr. Abubakar and gazetted on March 4, 1999.

How the presidency, with its retinue of aides and assistants, missed these calls to question the efficiency of the president?

Sources say the names, like others were so hurriedly done, to justify Mr. Alamieyeseigha's pardon thus leaving room for errors.

Scanned copy of gazetted document showing trio had been pardoned by Mr. Abubakar:

Source: Premium Times