Makurdi — Over 123 prison inmates including 39 indigenes of Benue State who are sentenced to death are said to be awaiting execution at the Federal Prison in Jos, Plateau State.

The officer-in-charge of the prison, Mr. F. Livinus, made this startling revelation when members of Benue State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy led by the Benue Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Chive Kaave paid an official visit to the Prison on a fact finding mission.

Speaking during the visit, Mr. Kaave promised to plead on behalf of the prisoners for the state government to grant them amnesty because of their remorse and extraordinary good conduct, urging them to continue to be of good behaviour as some of them could be released by the state governor on Independence Day.

He further advised them to have hope even after their conviction, reminding them that Nelson Mandela and retired General Olusegun Obansanjo were onces convicted but they came out to impact positively on their societies.

The Attorney-General commended the State Governor Mr. Gabriel Suswam for setting up the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy to review cases of all condemned criminals from Benue State to grant amnesty to 4 persons in the Jos prisons who were condemned to death.

Mr. Kaave, however, said members of the Council can only consider cases of those who have their files at the Appeal and Supreme courts, and urged those contesting their conviction to continue with the process.