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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Governor Dapo Abiodun has been sworn-in for a second term as governor of Ogun State.
Abiodun took the oath of office at the MKO Abiola Stadium, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
In his address, Abiodun ordered the release of 49 convicts currently serving jail terms in different correctional facilities across the state.
The governor also commuted death sentences of three convicts to life in prison.
Abiodun said some of the inmates had been behind bars for more than 20 years, while “three of these convicts are over 60 years old, with one being 84 years old.”
“I have signed the appropriate warrant ordering the immediate release of 49 convicts who are currently imprisoned in different correctional facilities across Ogun State.
“I have also signed a warrant ordering that the death sentences imposed on three death row convicts be immediately converted to prison sentences.
“The convicts who have received this gesture today, are inmates who have served long prison sentences with some having been in prison for more than 20 years. At least two of these convicts have serious medical conditions such as tuberculosis and HIV which even render them a health hazard to the prison community.
“Three of these convicts are over 60 years old, with one being 84 years old. Others already have less than two years of their sentences to serve anyway. All of these convicts have shown remorse for their crimes, they have acquired skills and certifications in prison, and they have demonstrated verified good conduct during their imprisonment,” he added.
The governor promised to consolidate on the achievements recorded in the last four years, saying: “We will not betray this trust reposed on us.”
“The Ogun State of our dreams is not only for one class of persons. It is not for the perfect. It is an inclusive state that gives opportunities to the law-abiding, and second chances to deserving offenders,” he added.
