Governor grants clemency across Adamawa custodial centres, offering convicts a second chance at life
By Mercy Dominic / Usman Umar Girei
YOLA — Nine inmates will spend this Independence Day as free men after Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, CON, granted them pardon in a sweeping act of clemency. The Governor also commuted the death sentence of a tenth inmate to life imprisonment.
Announced as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, the decision takes immediate effect. It offers the beneficiaries a rare chance to rebuild their lives, reunite with their families and contribute positively to society.
Those pardoned are Abubakar Dajo, held at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Jos; and Zabadi Ayuba and Salvation Nyamso, both at the Numan Custodial Centre. Six others, namely Amir Idris, Mohammed Saidu, Yaro Sambo, Buhari Salisu, Urube Samuel and Bamaiyi Amos, were ordered discharged from custodial centres in Jimeta, Ganye, Guyuk, Yola Old and Kojoli.
In a related decision, Governor Fintiri approved the commutation of the death sentence on Saidu Abdullahi, an inmate at the Yola Old Custodial Centre, to life imprisonment.
The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Humwashi Wonosikou, and issued to journalists in Yola on Wednesday, October 1, 2026.
According to the statement, the Governor acted on the recommendation of the State Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, exercising powers vested in him by Section 212(1)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The state government has concluded all necessary legal and administrative formalities with the Nigerian Correctional Service, clearing the way for the immediate release of the beneficiaries and their smooth reintegration into society.
The gesture, the statement said, underscores the principle that correctional justice is not only about punishment, but also about rehabilitation, reform and the possibility of a second chance. It is also expected to help ease congestion in correctional facilities while strengthening the return of reformed inmates to their communities.
For the families of the nine pardoned inmates, the Governor’s decision is far more than an official pronouncement. It means the return of loved ones, renewed hope and a fresh beginning on Nigeria’s Independence Day.
In Abdullahi’s case, the commutation replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment, a significant change to his legal status, though he remains in custody.
As Adamawa joins the nation in celebrating 66 years of independence, the Governor’s gesture adds a humanitarian dimension to the occasion, with a message centred on mercy, rehabilitation and second chances.
