Money Laundering: Nigerian Government releases ex-Governors Dariye, Nyame from prison

*Sen. Joshua Dariye, former Governor of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame, ex-Governor of Taraba State, were serving jail terms for money laundering and corruption allegations until President Muhammadu Buhari granted the duo a presidential pardon recently

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to the recent state pardon the Federal Government granted them, Senator Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame, an ex-Governor of Taraba State have been released by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Channels TV report said.

Hitherto, the duo were serving jail terms for money laundering and corruption allegations until President Muhammadu Buhari granted them a presidential pardon a few months back.

Nigeria’s Council of State also, had approved the pardon alongside 157 other convicts April 2022.

The former governors were convicted in 2018 by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal High Court, Abuja, FCT.

At the conclusion of the trial, Senator Dariye was convicted of stealing N1.16 billion while serving as the Plateau State Governor from 1999 to 2007, and consequently, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

However, his prison term was eventually reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, while his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Nyame, who was Taraba State Governor between 1999 and 2007, was convicted of stealing N1.6 billion from the state’s treasury, and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria also upheld the judgement at the time.