Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has granted clemency to 27 inmates across correctional facilities in the state.
The latest intervention, which coincides with Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, brings beneficiaries of the administration’s clemency interventions to more than 500.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Kaduna.
Maiyaki said the exercise involved releasing eligible inmates and paying fines and compensation for others under the administration’s restorative justice initiative.
He said the state government had committed more than N300 million to payment of fines and compensation for victims since Sani assumed office in May 2023.
According to him, the intervention reflects the governor’s commitment to balancing accountability and public safety with rehabilitation, reconciliation and second chances.
Maiyaki said the clemency exercise was intended to restore hope and provide beneficiaries with opportunities to return to society as responsible citizens.
“The significance of clemency extends beyond release from custody; it lies in restoring hope and opening a credible path towards responsible citizenship,” he said.
Maiyaki reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting society and respecting victims’ interests while supporting deserving beneficiaries to return to their families.
He said the beneficiaries were expected to use the opportunity to rebuild their lives as responsible and productive members of their communities
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir James Kanyip, said the exercise continued the governor’s practice of granting clemency on significant national occasions.
Kanyip listed New Year, Democracy Day and Independence Day among occasions when the governor had extended such interventions.
He explained that the prerogative of mercy was exercised through established processes, with due regard to accountability, rehabilitation and responsibilities accompanying freedom.
The attorney general said payment of fines and compensation also gave the initiative a restorative dimension by removing financial barriers keeping deserving inmates in custody.
He added that the approach recognised the interests of victims while supporting rehabilitation and reintegration of beneficiaries into their communities.
Kanyip said the continuity of the interventions demonstrated that clemency under the administration was not a one-off gesture.
He described it as part of a broader approach to justice, rehabilitation and social reintegration.
“Each beneficiary represents a life offered another opportunity, a family reunited and a community with a renewed stake in successful reintegration,” Kanyip said.