As part of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary celebrations, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has granted amnesty to 36 inmates serving various sentences at the Nigerian Correctional Service facilities in Ilesa and Ile-Ife.
The governor said the gesture, which he described as an act of compassion and renewal, was carried out under the powers vested in him by Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the decision followed recommendations from the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
In a proclamation dated September 24, 2025, and issued under his hand and the Public Seal of Osun State, Governor Adeleke declared that he has “granted amnesty to the convicted persons listed and attached hereto, who are subject to the jurisdiction of Osun State”.
He said, “Now Know Ye That, Senator (Dr.) Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Governor of Osun State of Nigeria, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Paragraph (a) Subsection (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and acting in accordance with the Advisory Council of State designated under Subsection (2) of the said Section, am graciously pleased to extend my mercy to the said thirty-six (36) convicts.”
“By this act, I remit and release unto them all pains, penalties, and punishments whatsoever that may have accrued from their convictions, and I hereby require all to whom it may concern to take due notice thereof. AND FOR SO DOING, this shall be a sufficient warrant. Given under my hand and the Public Seal of Osun State, Nigeria, this 24th day of September, 2025,” the statement read.
The convicts, mostly jailed for minor offences including stealing and conspiracy, were considered deserving of mercy after serving substantial parts of their sentences.
Beneficiaries include 29 inmates from Ilesa Correctional Centre, among them Kehinde Ganiyu, Isiaka Mohammed, Oluwatosin Femi, Adebisi Adeniyi, Rotimi Paul, and Oyewole Sunday, as well as seven others from Ile-Ife Correctional Centre, including Yusuf Ola, Oyedeji Sunday, and Ojo Olaoluwa.
Governor Adeleke stressed that the “decision reflects the spirit of compassion, justice, and renewal which Nigeria’s Independence Day represents.”
“As a government of the people, we remain committed to upholding justice while extending mercy to deserving citizens. This amnesty is not only a gesture of freedom but also a call for true rehabilitation, reintegration, and a fresh start for these individuals,” he added.
