Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger state Tuesday granted unconditional state pardon to 11 persons sentenced to death in the state.
They were sentenced to death by a Minna High Court over the killings in communal clash in Lavun local government area of Niger state.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Nasiru Muhammad Muazu, announced the pardon in a press briefing in Minna.
He said: “The governor, exercising his power as contained in Section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, has decided to grant the convicts state pardon.
“The gesture followed a plea made by the convicts to the state governor and the Office of the Attorney General, which was forwarded to the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.”
He stated that, after the review of the advice of the Council on Prerogative of Mercy in the state, the governor decided to grant the pardon on the 28th of May, 2025.
The commissioner said the governor’s decision is aimed at bringing lasting peace to the lingering communal clashes between Gaba and Anfani communities in Lavun local government area of the state.
He said the governor had held a series of peace meetings with the two warring communities before the pardon was granted.
