A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to grant state pardon to popular actress and Nollywood icon, Mrs Funke Akindele.

He made the plea while speaking with journalists following the termination of the charges brought against Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi and Azeez Fashola (Naira Marley).

The human rights activist stated that since the state made the case in court that it was not out to persecute citizens, “Akindele should be granted reprieve, moreso that she has demonstrated remorse for her conduct.”

He stated that since the Federal Government is granting amnesty to 2,600 prisoners, the Governor should emulate this good gesture and show fatherly love to the Funke Akindele and her husband, Abdul Rasheed Bello. This should also be extended to all those arrested for jogging on the streets, as they could not have all set out deliberately to disobey the COVID-19 Regulation, Adegboruwa said.

He argued that “since we are facing a novel situation at hand, government should show some magnanimity to its citizens, as is being done all over the world. Nigerians have never been locked down for this long, without food or money and it is not proper to add to their woes with arrest and prosecution.”

Adegboruwa commended the steps so far taken by the government and urged all Nigerians to continue to cooperate with the government to end the scourge.