- Kokori community in Delta state celebrates after President Bola Tinubu granted amnesty to convicted and dreaded kidnap kingpin Kelvin Oniarah
Prolific Nigerian journalist, author, lawyer, and activist, Richard Akinnola, has asked Nigerians to blame the committee that complied and forwarded the names of killers, drug barons and peddlers, and the like, to President Bola Tinubu for presidential pardon.
According to Akinnola, “Normally, a Governor or President merely signs what had been recommended by the committee because of the confidence he has in the committee.”
However, Residents of Kokori community in Delta state are in celebratory mood after President Bola Tinubu granted amnesty to convicted and dreaded kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah.
Below is the full text of Akinnola’s position.
Between January 2006 and April 2007, l was privileged to be a member of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of mercy to the Lagos State Governor, under the Chairmanship of Funke Aboyade.
We carefully scrutinized applications for prerogative of mercy and even visited the prison to interview some of the inmates.
Our recommendations to the Governor, either to commute death sentences to years of imprisonment or for release of certain categories of inmates, sent through the Attorney General, came after very careful and meticulous considerations.
Normally, a Governor or President merely signs what had been recommended by the committee because of the confidence he has in the committee.
Therefore, if there had been errors or inappropriate recommendations for the release of certain inmates, the blame should go to the committee and not the Governor or president, even though the buck stops at their tables and they are vicariously liable to errors of omission or commission by the Committee.
In respect of the recent pardon of certain categories of inmates by the President, many of which are quite embarrassing, acting on the recommendations of the presidential prerogative of mercy committee.
l think the blame should go to the Committee and not the president, though be assented to the recommendations. With due respect to the members, it was a very embarrassing and shoddy exercise by the committee, by recommending the release of some people convicted for serious offences, barely few years into their conviction. They just embarrassed the President who would not be in a position to know the details of most of the convicts.
-Richard Akinnola
Meanwhile, the 44-year-old was a dreaded leader of a kidnapping and robbery gang that was implicated in the killing of many police and military officers as well as some other victims.
On 25th September 2013, a combined security team of the Nigerian Army and DSS operatives arrested Kelvin.
Kelvin, also known as Kelvin Ibruvwe masterminded the kidnap of prominent lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on 24th August, 2013, along Auchi–Benin road.
He is also responsible for the following kidnaps:
- A Judge of the Edo State Judiciary,
- A top female official of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),
- Dr Chudi NWIKE, a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who was killed by Kelvin while in captivity,
- Several members of the NYSC and security agents.
He also masterminded various attacks against security personnel, carried out several armed robberies and kidnap operations in Delta, Edo, Rivers and Anambra States.
ONIARAH maintained operational bases and detention camps in Warri and Kokori communities in Delta State, Ugbokolo community in Benue State, Benin City in Edo State, and Aba in Abia State.
It would also be recalled that on the 18th September 2013, Kelvin issued a 60-day ultimatum to the federal government to release some of his boys who were arrested by the DSS or he would wreak havoc on innocent Nigerian citizens.
He was among those granted pardon by President Tinubu in the recent amnesty for some prisoners and has walked home freely after spending 12 years in prison out of his 20-year sentence.
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