By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku Lafia
In a significant move toward justice reform and national reconciliation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardon and clemency to 175 Nigerians, including prominent historical figures and convicts serving various jail terms across the country.
The announcement followed the Council of State meeting held on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the President approved recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM).
Among the beneficiaries are posthumous pardons for Nigeria’s founding nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay, the late literary icon and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the late Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 for an alleged coup plot.
Also granted posthumous pardons were the “Ogoni Nine” , Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawa, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine, whose execution in 1995 sparked international outrage over human rights abuses during the military regime of Gen. Sani Abacha.
Prominent contemporary beneficiaries include Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives jailed for corruption; Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe, a former Niger Delta militant and kidnap kingpin; and Maryam Sanda, convicted in 2020 for the murder of her husband.
Others granted clemency or sentence reduction include Professor Magaji Garba, Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, Dr. Nwogu Peters, Major S.A. Akubo, and several inmates convicted for drug-related offences, fraud, and unlawful mining activities.
The list also included inmates who benefited from sentence reduction due to old age, ill-health, good conduct, and remorsefulness, reflecting the government’s humanitarian and reformist approach to the criminal justice system.
A total of over 80 inmates had their sentences reduced, while others received commutations from death sentences to life imprisonment.
Inmates across correctional facilities in Kuje, Kirikiri, Katsina, Port Harcourt, Ikoyi, and Ikot Ekpene were affected by the presidential gesture.
President Tinubu emphasized that the exercise was aimed at promoting national healing, justice reform, and humane treatment of inmates, in line with the government’s commitment to upholding human rights and fostering rehabilitation within correctional centres.
The latest round of pardons follows similar initiatives by past administrations, signaling continuity in efforts to decongest prisons and extend mercy to deserving citizens who have shown repentance and reformation.
Key Highlights of the Presidential Clemency List:
- 175 beneficiaries in total: Including posthumous and living pardons.
- Posthumous Pardon: Herbert Macaulay, Maj. Gen. Mamman Vatsa, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the Ogoni Nine.
- High-profile pardons: Farouk Lawan, Kelvin Ezigbe, and Maryam Sanda.
- Sentence Reductions: Over 80 inmates benefited due to age, health, or good conduct.
- Commuted Death Sentences: Several inmates’ capital punishments reduced to life imprisonment.
Analysts have hailed the move as a bold statement of compassion and reform, underscoring President Tinubu’s commitment to balancing justice with mercy in Nigeria’s correctional and judicial systems.
