Indication has emerged that the Nigerian Correctional Centre (NCoS) has declared a former ex-militant leader, Joshua Maciver, free from prison obligation.
The NCoS clarified that Maciver, who is the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11 election in Bayelsa State, had no pending prison sentence obligation.
The clarification was contained in a leaked document titled, “To Whom It May Concern”, signed by the Controller-General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa.
Recall that there had been reports that Maciver, before his emergence as the running of the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, was sentenced over a criminal offence but he had yet to complete his jail term.
The reports also indicated that he was not among the Niger Delta militants that were granted amnesty following proclamation by the Federal Government.
But in the document dated 2nd February, 2022, Nababa stated that Maciver was granted amnesty alongside other Niger Delta militants by the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Nababa in the letter addressed to Benjamin Ogbara, the lawyer to Maciver, said the amnesty proclamation ended Maciver’s prison sentence at the Kaduna prisons.
The correctional officer also attached the official gazette containing the amnesty proclamation and other relevant documents to prove that Sylva’s running mate was cleared of all offences.
It was gathered that Maciver, prior to the amnesty proclamation, was convicted and thrown into the Kaduna prisons for mounting pressure on an oil company operating in his community to provide basic amenities to his people.
The letter read, “This is to confirm that Mr. Joshua Maciver, who was serving a prison sentence in Kaduna Prisons following his conviction in charge number FHC/KD/119C/2004, on the 26th of February, 2006 was granted Amnesty alongside other Niger Delta militants by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“This is pursuant to the Amnesty Proclamation dated the 25th of June, 2009 in exercise of the powers vested on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He is, therefore, no longer under any legal obligation to continue to serve the prison sentence. Please, find attached the official gazette containing the amnesty proclamation and other relevant documents”.
