Dangiwa Umar to Malami: Obey presidential directive, free Dariye, Nyame

A former military administrator of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd) has called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to obey President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive and ensure the release of former Governor of Plateau State, Sen. Joshua Dariye and his counterpart from Taraba State, Jolly Nyame from prison.

Dariye who is serving a 10-year jail term for money laundering to the tune of N1.126billion and Nyame who was sentenced to a 12-year jail term for diverting N1.6billion while serving as governor were granted presidential pardon together with 157 convicts by the Council of State led by President Muhammadu Buhari in April.

• Sallah: Ogun residents groan under fuel scarcity, hike in transport fare
• Falana asks Malami to account for terrorism sponsors, suspects

However, in a statement released Sunday evening, Col. Umar who in 2021 pleaded with President Buhari to grant a state pardon to the duo expressed disappointment that almost three months after the pardon, both Dariye and Nyame were still in jail.

He called on the Attorney General to without further delay and in obedience to the directive of the President, transmit their release warrants to the agencies responsible for the release of the former governors.

He, however, stated that when he made the plea for their release in 2021, he had not meant to excuse their fraud offence nor to undermine the much needed war against corruption in Nigeria. Rather, he said it was a call for a more vigorous war waged with equity and fairness.

He said both Dariye and Nyame had spent two years in detention while their trial lasted and have now served four years after their conviction, making a cumulative six years of their sentence.

The former military administrator said even though their pardon was greeted with public dissent and protests from a section of the public, he added that the public antagonism might have intimidated the government, resulting in the justice ministry’s hesitancy in issuing their release warrants to the Ministry of Interior and the National Correctional Service.