My dear people of Kogi State,
Fellow Nigerians,
Every nation has a story. Some stories are written in the ink of triumph; others are written through the tears of sacrifice, the courage of generations and the determination of a people who refuse to surrender their destiny. Nigeria’s story is a story of hope tested by adversity, a story of a people who, despite the weight of our challenges, continue to believe that tomorrow can be better than today.
Sixty-six years ago, on the 1st of October 1960, Nigeria took into her own hands the responsibility of determining her destiny. Our independence was more than the lowering of one flag and the raising of another. It was a declaration that a people had come of age, a solemn commitment to build a nation founded on freedom, justice, unity and the dignity of every citizen.
Today, 66 years later, we gather once again to celebrate that historic journey. We celebrate our resilience. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate the Nigerian spirit that has survived moments of uncertainty, periods of hardship and challenges that have tested the strength of our national character.
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Independence, however, is a responsibility handed from one generation to another. The freedom secured by our founding fathers places upon us the duty to preserve our unity, strengthen our democracy, protect our institutions and build a nation that our children and grandchildren will inherit with pride.
As we celebrate this year’s Independence anniversary, I salute the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the courage and vision with which his administration continues to pursue the renewal of our nation.
The journey of national transformation is never an easy one. Difficult decisions often precede meaningful progress. President Tinubu has demonstrated the political courage to confront some of the structural weaknesses that have constrained our economy for years, while simultaneously pursuing reforms designed to reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth.
From economic reforms and tax administration to infrastructure development, energy, agriculture, education, healthcare, youth empowerment and social investment, the Federal Government has continued to lay important foundations for a more productive and competitive Nigeria. The 2026 national budget, with its strong emphasis on security, infrastructure, education and healthcare, reflects this broad development direction.
We have also witnessed significant investments in roads and other critical infrastructure across the country. The expansion and rehabilitation of major highways, the modernisation of rail infrastructure, renewed attention to power supply and the development of economic corridors are part of the larger effort to connect communities, reduce the cost of doing business and open new opportunities for our people.
The President’s interventions in education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, his support for agricultural production, the Renewed Hope housing programme, the CNG initiative and the continuing effort to strengthen domestic refining and energy security all speak to a government seeking to address both present difficulties and the structural challenges that have held our economy back.
In particular, I commend the President for the deliberate effort to unlock private investment in our strategic sectors. The recently approved deep offshore investment framework, which the Federal Government says could unlock up to US$50 billion in new investment, demonstrates an attempt to create a clearer and more predictable environment for long-term capital.
These initiatives deserve recognition because nation-building is a continuous process. The Nigeria of our dreams will not emerge overnight. It will be built through sound policies, courageous decisions, institutional reforms, infrastructure, investment in our people and, above all, a shared commitment to the future of our country.
As a government, we in Kogi State remain firmly aligned with the national aspiration for a stronger, more prosperous and more secure Nigeria. We believe that when the nation succeeds, the states succeed; and when states develop, the nation becomes stronger.
For us in Kogi State, this Independence anniversary therefore offers another opportunity to reflect on who we are, what we possess and what we must do with the enormous possibilities placed before us.
Kogi State is uniquely positioned in Nigeria’s development story. We are the meeting point of the Rivers Niger and Benue. We are a bridge between regions. We possess vast agricultural, mineral and tourism resources. Above all, we possess a resilient and enterprising people whose talents extend across every sector of human endeavour.
Our administration remains committed to translating these advantages into opportunities for our people. Through investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, human capital development, rural electrification, mining, tourism and enterprise, we are working to build a Kogi State in which opportunity is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a realistic aspiration for every citizen.
We are building with the understanding that government must create the environment, provide the infrastructure and establish the policies that allow citizens to create wealth, while citizens must reciprocate with hard work, discipline, enterprise and respect for the law.
My dear people of Kogi State, there is another important reason why this year’s Independence celebration is particularly significant for us.
Freedom is inseparable from responsibility. Justice gives society order, but mercy gives humanity its conscience. A society that understands justice must also understand compassion, rehabilitation and the possibility of redemption for those who have demonstrated genuine remorse and a willingness to return to responsible living.
It is in this spirit that I inaugurated the Kogi State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy on the 2nd of September, 2026, to undertake the solemn responsibility of reviewing applications and cases presented for consideration under the constitutional prerogative of mercy.
The Council, chaired by the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Muizudeen Yunus Abdullahi, SAN, and comprising distinguished members drawn from the Judiciary, the legal profession, religious bodies, the Nigeria Police Force and the medical profession, undertook a careful review of the cases before it.
The Council reviewed relevant records, considered representations made on behalf of inmates and convicts, examined correctional reports and visited correctional centres across the State, including Koton Karfe, Kabba, Dekina, Ankpa, Idah and Okene.
In its consideration, the Council took into account such factors as age, health, the nature and circumstances of the offences, the period already served, conduct while in custody, remorse and repentance, rehabilitation, acquisition of vocational skills, correctional reports, family and community support, the interests of victims, public safety and the broader interests of justice.
Having carefully considered the Report and Recommendations of the Advisory Council, I have decided, in accordance with the Constitution and within the limits of the law, to adopt the recommendations in respect of the deserving cases presented for executive clemency.
I consider this decision particularly appropriate on an occasion such as this, when our nation celebrates freedom and the enduring hope that independence represents. Let me, however, make it clear that the exercise of the prerogative of mercy does not diminish the seriousness of the offences for which the beneficiaries were convicted. It is an exercise of constitutional compassion in deserving circumstances, informed by rehabilitation, remorse, humanitarian considerations, public interest and the possibility of responsible reintegration into society.
Accordingly, I hereby extend mercy to the following persons:
A) OLD AGE AND MEDICAL GROUNDS
1. Lamidi Mohammed Garuba — 91 years old and remorseful.
2. Ajagbonna Olufemi David — 72 years old and hypertensive.
3. Yakubu Atabo — old age, compassionate grounds and remorse.
4. Chief Umane Okeme — 65 years old; old age and compassionate grounds.
5. Saidu Atuluku Yunusa — paralysis of both lower limbs and lumbar spondylosis.
6. Hilary Chike Nwaeze — tuberculosis and haemoptysis.
7. Ebenezer Mopah — HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
8. Abdullahi Jibril — tuberculosis.
9. Usman Ismaila — health grounds; the report indicates signs of mental illness.
B) GOOD CONDUCT, REHABILITATION, REMORSEFULNESS AND COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS
10. Ita Paul
11. Mr Gershom Soba
12. Bola Okuta Golden
13. Ojo Oyotoke
14. Daniel Attaboh
15. Victor Ignatus
16. Muhammed Sanni
17. David Matthew
18. Sumaila Hassan
19. Bright Chibike Godstime
20. Lawal Enemona
21. Ogunleye Ayodele
22. Sunday Ibrahim
23. Sule Aliyu
24. Mohammed Adama
25. Bashiru Sekiru
26. Sule Samuel Ojonugwa
27. Mustapha Alpha
28. Mubarak Alpha
29. Basere Aliu
30. Olabode Idris
31. Matthew Sunday
32. Muhammed Idrisa Sani
33. Abdullahi Saidu
34. Idris Lawal
35. Abdullahi Buzhi
36. Monday Gideon
37. Abubakar Idris
38. Ibrahim Adama
39. Tanimu Adama
40. Sadiq Mohammed
41. Angal Ibrahim
42. Mohammed Sani
43. Daniel Attabor
44. Ayuba Ademu
45. Hassan Umoru
46. Gabriel Onidiya
47. Idris Iliasu
48. Hassan Abubakar
49. Danjuma Yunusa
50. Faruk Suleiman
51. Sunday Adejoh
52. Eliza Owele
53. Chubiyo Ojabe
54. Sadiq Shaibu
55. Musa Isah
56. Isah Musa
57. Isiaka Abdullahi
58. Adamu Ahmadu
59. Umoru Abubakar
60. Aliu Abu
61. Ahmed Muhammed Salahu
62. Adams Istifamus
63. Shehu Arande
64. Fatai Abubakar
65. Mumuni Billy Shaibu
66. Victoria Bamidele
67. Shaibu Abdulazeez
68. Jimoh Samuel
69. Monday Emmanuel
70. Ibrahim Nurudeen
71. Luka Shedrach
72. Amid Ismaila
73. Godwill Adejoh
74. Idris Abdulrasaq
75. Adams Ibrahim
76. Ibrahim Adamu Dansabe
77. Okpanachi Ocheni
78. Jimoh Jafaru
79. Lamidi Muktab
80. Muhammadu Shaibu
81. Danlami Salami
82. Musa Umoru
83. Usman Iliasu
84. Nazir Aminu
85. Lukman Yakubu
86. Rabiu Isiaka
87. Omeiza Suleiman
88. Yusuf Ibrahim
89. Kabiru Ibrahim
90. Danlami Muhammed
91. Hassan Yunusa
92. Aminu Buji
93. Iliasu Bello
94. Husseini Mustapha.
C) REMISSION OF SENTENCE
95. Tunde Adura — sentence remitted to eight years from the date of conviction.
96. Olusaye Moses Abayomi — sentence remitted to three years from the date of conviction.
97. Abu Mowde — sentence remitted to three years from the date of conviction.
98. Zakariyau Baba — sentence remitted to three years from the date of conviction.
99. Michael Ojonugwa — sentence remitted to four years from the date of conviction.
100. Rami Sadiq — sentence remitted to three years.
101. Salawudeen Sanusi — sentence remitted to three years.
These remissions are intended to give effect to the constitutional power to substitute or reduce punishment in appropriate circumstances. They are also a reminder that the law can be firm while the State can still recognise genuine transformation and deserving humanitarian circumstances.
To the beneficiaries of this pardon and remission, I say: you have been given another opportunity, and every second opportunity comes with a greater responsibility. Do not return to crime. Do not abuse the mercy extended to you. Return to your families and communities as responsible citizens. Put to productive use the skills, education and lessons acquired during your period of incarceration.
Where you have undertaken to reconcile with your families, compensate victims, refund monies or live responsibly, honour those commitments. Let your conduct from this day forward demonstrate that the mercy extended to you was justified.
To the good people of Kogi State, I send an equally clear message: stay away from crime. Do not allow yourselves to be recruited into kidnapping, armed robbery, theft, fraud, violence, drug-related offences, cultism or any other criminal enterprise.
Poverty must never become an excuse for crime. Peer pressure must never become a reason to destroy your future. The temptation of quick wealth must never make you surrender your dignity. There is no shortcut to a meaningful life that can replace hard work, education, enterprise, integrity and perseverance.
Our administration will continue to support the security agencies and the administration of justice. We shall continue to protect the rights of our citizens and uphold the rule of law, while remaining firm against every act that threatens the peace, security and prosperity of Kogi State.
We will also continue to expand opportunities for our young people to acquire skills, engage in productive enterprise and contribute meaningfully to the development of our State. But opportunities must be matched by responsibility. Government can provide the platform; citizens must choose how they use it.
I therefore call on our parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youth organisations and all well-meaning citizens to join Government in the fight against crime. The battle against criminality is not a battle that government can win alone. It is a collective struggle for the soul and future of our communities.
Let us teach our children that success does not come through crime; that wealth acquired through criminality brings neither lasting peace nor dignity; and that the surest path to a prosperous society is through hard work, honesty, education, enterprise and respect for the rights of others.
My dear people of Kogi State, the Nigeria we celebrate today was built by people who believed that something greater could emerge from the difficulties of their time. We owe the same faith to those coming after us.
We must therefore choose unity over division, peace over violence, enterprise over dependency, productivity over indifference and patriotism over cynicism. We must understand that our differences need not become our divisions. Our diversity is a national asset when we deploy it towards a common purpose.
For Kogi State, our task is clear. We must continue to build a State where a child in the most remote community can dream without limitation; where the farmer can produce and access markets; where the entrepreneur can invest with confidence; where workers can serve with dignity; where families can live in peace; and where every citizen can look into the future with hope.
We shall continue to pursue the development of our State in partnership with the Federal Government, local governments, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners and, most importantly, our people. Our strategic position at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers gives us an enormous advantage, but our greatest resource remains the people of Kogi State.
Today, therefore, as we honour 66 years of Nigerian independence, let us also honour the responsibility that comes with freedom. Freedom is the opportunity to build. Freedom is the responsibility to protect what we build. Freedom is the courage to correct what is wrong. Freedom is the generosity to give others the opportunity to rise.
I also call on all Kogi people, irrespective of political, religious, ethnic or social differences, to continue to support the peace and stability of our State. Politics will come and go. Administrations will come and go. But Kogi State will remain our common home.
Let us therefore protect it. Let us build it. Let us speak well of it. Let us invest in it. Let us give our children reasons to remain proud of the State into which they were born.
On this Independence Day, I reaffirm the commitment of our administration to good governance, security, infrastructure development, human capital development, economic empowerment and the creation of opportunities for our people. We shall continue to work every day to make government more responsive to the needs and aspirations of our citizens.
I hereby direct the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kogi State, to take all necessary administrative steps to give effect to this decision, including the preparation and issuance of the appropriate instruments of pardon and remission and the necessary communication to the relevant correctional authorities and other agencies.
My dear people of Kogi State, nations are not built in a day. They are built decision by decision, sacrifice by sacrifice and generation by generation. The Nigeria we desire is possible. The Kogi State we desire is possible. But possibility becomes reality only when hope is matched with action.
As we mark the 66th anniversary of our independence, let us therefore renew our faith in Nigeria. Let us believe in the strength of our people. Let us support the reforms and development efforts that can move our nation forward. Let us continue to work with the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as we build a stronger, more productive and more prosperous Nigeria.
Let us believe in Kogi State. Let us choose peace. Let us embrace hard work. Let us reject crime. Let us raise children who understand that greatness is earned through character, discipline and service.
On behalf of the Government and people of Kogi State, I congratulate His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on this 66th Independence anniversary.
May the sacrifices of those who fought for our independence continue to inspire us. May the courage of our soldiers and security personnel who defend our nation daily never be forgotten. May God continue to strengthen our leaders and grant wisdom to all those entrusted with public responsibility.
May peace continue to reign in Kogi State. May our farmers prosper, our workers flourish, our businesses grow and our young people find meaningful opportunities to build their future.
May God Almighty continue to bless our dear Kogi State.
May God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Happy Independence Day to all Nigerians.
Long live Kogi State.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you, and God bless you all.
HE Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo, FCA
The Chief Servant of Kogi State
1st October, 2026.
