BREAKING: FG Grants Amnesty To 2,600 Inmates Nationwide Over Coronavirus Pandemic

The Nigerian government has granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners across the country due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the decision was taken as part of measures to decongest the prison facilities in the country amid the spread of the pandemic.

He stated: “In a symbolic gesture of the amnesty given to the 2,600 inmates across Nigeria, 41 Federal inmates and 29 FCT inmates making a total of 70 inmates who met the above criteria will be released today from the Kuje Custodial Center in Abuja.

“This amnesty will not apply to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and so on.

“The governors of the 36 states under whose jurisdiction most of the inmates were incarcerated will complete the exercise in line with the federal principle.”