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100-year-old inmate on death-row seeks pardon – report

A 100 year-old Nigerian man who was sentenced to death on a kidnapping and murder charge is reportedly seeking pardon.

According to BBC, Celestine Egbunuche, was known as "Nigeria's oldest prisoner" and had so far spent 18 years in jail.

Egbunuche along with his son Paul, 41, – who was now responsible for his well-being in prison - were sentenced to death in 2014 after being jailed in 2000 for hiring people to kidnap and kill a man over an alleged land dispute in Imo state, the report said.

Egbunuche turned 100 in August and a non-governmental organisation, Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC), was spearheading a campaign for him to be freed.

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A report by Sun news.com said that the non-profit organisation had pleaded with Nigerian prison authorities to release the 100-year-old man and his son.

GSAC said that Egbunuche had suffered from diabetes over the years, adding that "with his age and failing health, it will be proper to release him to go and possibly die peacefully at home".

The report quoted experts as saying that in other jurisdictions, inmates above 65 years were eligible for either parole or state pardon.


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