The National Council of State (NCS) has granted pardon to a former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, also a former governor of Taraba state.
The former governors were serving jail terms for corruption.
The NCS at its meeting on Thursday, at the State House, Abuja, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, and attended by past Heads of State and presidents, also granted state pardoned to 157 others convicts.
However, the council 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.
The former governors were granted pardons on the grounds of age and ill health.
Another beneficiary of the pardon is Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime.
In 2018, Nyame, 66, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for diverting N1.64 billion while serving as governor between 1999 an 2007.
He was convicted and jailed for 14 years, after a trial that lasted 11 years.
His sentence was later reduced to 12 years by the supreme court in February 2020.
Dariye, 64, was also served as governor between 1999 and 2007.
He was later elected senator representing Plateau Central District.
He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2018 for N1.126 billion fraud.
However, a court of appeal reduced his term by four years. The verdict was also affirmed by the supreme court.
