• 175 convicts and ex-convicts benefit from presidency
• Posthumous pardon for Ken Saro-Wiwa, Herbert Macaulay, Gen. Vatsa
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• Presidency cites remorse, good conduct, and old age as key criteria
Presidency has granted clemency to 175 convicts and former inmates, including seven death row prisoners, several drug offenders, and white-collar criminals, according to the Presidency.
In a statement signed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the Presidency said the move followed recommendations by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). It explained that the pardons were based on remorse, good conduct, acquisition of vocational skills, old age, and enrolment in educational programmes during incarceration.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Grants State Pardon To Maryam Sanda Convicted Of Killing Husband
The breakdown of beneficiaries includes two inmates granted full pardon, fifteen former convicts pardoned—including eleven posthumously—eighty-two inmates granted clemency, sixty-five whose sentences were commuted, and seven death row inmates whose sentences were reduced to life imprisonment.
One notable case is that of Maryam Sanda, 37, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband. The Presidency said her clemency was granted after her family’s plea, highlighting her remorse, rehabilitation, and responsibility to her two children.
Among the beneficiaries were drug offenders who reportedly embraced reform and acquired skills while serving time. These include Kelvin Christopher Smith, convicted for importing cocaine in 2023; Azubuike Jeremiah Emeka, jailed for five years for cocaine trafficking; and Akinrinnade Adebiyi, imprisoned for dealing in Tramadol. The clemency also covered economic offenders such as Dr. Nwogu Peters, sentenced for fraud in 2013; Barr. Hussaini Umar, fined ₦150 million in an ICPC case; and Hon. Farouk Lawan, the former lawmaker convicted for bribery in 2021.
In a symbolic gesture, President Tinubu also addressed historical injustices, granting posthumous pardons to iconic figures including Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, and Sir Herbert Macaulay. “This gesture is not only a mark of mercy but a commitment to justice and reconciliation,” the Presidency said. The Ogoni Nine, executed under the Abacha regime in 1995, were officially exonerated, alongside their slain victims—Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobaru, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage.
A significant number of illegal miners—forty individuals sentenced in 2024—were also pardoned. Their rehabilitation is to be supervised by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, who signed an undertaking to oversee their reintegration and empowerment. Convicts of human trafficking such as Ife Yusuf and Patricia Igninovia also had their sentences reduced following evidence of good conduct and participation in rehabilitation programmes.
Seven inmates previously on death row had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment after spending over a decade awaiting execution. Among them are Emmanuel Baba, Emmanuel Gladstone, Moses Olorunfemi, and Abubakar Usman, whose sentences were reduced based on time served, good behaviour, and rehabilitation records.
The Presidency described the clemency exercise as one of the broadest acts of executive mercy in Nigeria’s history, covering crimes from drug trafficking to economic offences, illegal mining, and violent crimes.
It followed a comprehensive review by the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, whose final report was presented at the Council of State meeting chaired by President Tinubu on Thursday.
“This exercise demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to justice, fairness, and the rehabilitation of reformed citizens,” the statement concluded.
