Rights advocate, Opukeme calls on Buhari, Mallami to free Ebiware, 159 others

By Anita Godfrey

A Niger Delta advocate and Ace Publisher of Daily Watch online newspaper, Mr Cletus Opukeme has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubarkar Mallami to revisit the presidential pardon granted to Edmund Ebiware and 159 inmates to allow them to rejoin with their families which they have been separated from long ago.

A statement by Opukeme on Thursday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari had done well by granting the Federal Government’s prerogative of Mercy on Mr Edmund Ebiware and others through a recommendation by a 12-man presidential committee headed by the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Mallami Ref N0: PACPM 2021, the first phase, dated Thursday, September 2021.

According to him, the recommendation by the presidential committee was granted by Mr President in the last two months and there was jubilation in the various affected families across the nation. “But to our surprise, Mr Edmund Ebiware and others who were duly pardoned by Mr President are still behind bars, dashing the hopes and joy of both the freed inmates and their family members,” he noted.

The ace publisher, however, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the good work by releasing some of the prison inmates who have served several years in detention. But wondered why after the Presidential pardon has been granted but prison officials decided not to allow them to rejoin their various families.

Meanwhile, Opukeme appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attoney General of the federation, Abubakar Mallami to revisit the matter and allow the freed prisoners to enjoy their freedom.