The Council of State led by President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the pardon of 159 convicts including a former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye; and ex-Governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who were both imprisoned for stealing N1.16bn and N1.6bn respectively.

The council however rejected the application for prerogative of mercy for a former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, who was convicted for stealing and jailed last year. Two other applications were also disallowed.

Presidential sources say the two former governors were pardoned on health and age grounds.

Mr Nyame, 66, governor of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007, was serving a 12-year jail term at the Kuje prison for misappropriation of funds while he was in office. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction in February 2020.

Mr Dariye, 64, who governed Plateau between 1999 and 2007, was jailed for stealing N2 billion of public funds during his time as Plateau State governor between 1999 and 2007.