President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday extended clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts, including illegal miners, white-collar criminals, remorseful drug offenders, foreigners, and notable historic figures such as Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, and capital offenders including Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro Wiwa, and the other members of the Ogoni Eight.

 

The President’s act of mercy was based on detailed reports highlighting good conduct, genuine remorse, acquisition of vocational skills, and educational advancement such as enrollment at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Additionally, the pardon addressed historical injustice by granting posthumous clemency to Sir Herbert Macaulay, a revered nationalist wrongfully sentenced during British colonial rule.

 

The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, recommended various forms of clemency: pardon, commutation of sentences, and reduced prison terms. The committee’s report was presented at the Council of State meeting presided over by President Tinubu.

• Pardoned Convicts: 82 inmates granted full pardon, including those convicted of drug offenses, fraud, bribery, and other crimes.

• Posthumous Pardons: Historic figures such as Sir Herbert Macaulay, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine including Ken Saro Wiwa.

• Commuted Sentences: 65 inmates had their sentences reduced, including seven death row inmates whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

• Reduced Terms: 28 inmates had their prison terms significantly shortened based on good conduct, remorse, health, or age.

• Illegal Miners: Several illegal miners received clemency with Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis taking responsibility for their rehabilitation.

 

Notable Beneficiaries Include:

• Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death for culpable homicide, released following a plea emphasizing her remorse, good conduct, and family responsibilities.

• Ken Saro Wiwa and other Ogoni activists, posthumously pardoned as part of the government’s recognition of historic wrongs.

• Major General Mamman Vatsa and Major Akubo, military figures convicted in past coup-related trials, also posthumously pardoned.

• Professor Magaji Garba, sentenced for obtaining money by false pretence, had his sentence reduced due to good conduct and age.

 

The President’s clemency serves as a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to justice tempered with mercy, rehabilitation, and correction of historical errors. It also underscores efforts to humanize the penal system and encourage inmates toward reform.