The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised alarm over President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to pardon 175 inmates, including individuals convicted of corruption, drug trafficking, oil theft, and other serious crimes, warning that the move could undermine the justice system and damage Nigeria’s global credibility.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 19, signed by Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani, who also heads Transparency International Nigeria, CISLAC described the presidential clemency as a “grave misstep” that erodes public trust and weakens anti-corruption institutions.
Rafsanjani questioned the legality of extending presidential mercy to individuals convicted outside Nigeria, saying the act exceeded constitutional limits.
“You cannot pardon someone convicted by a foreign court when Nigerian jurisdiction wasn’t involved in the conviction. That is beyond the constitutional powers of the Nigerian President,” he stated.
CISLAC warned that such actions could strain Nigeria’s diplomatic ties and derail joint anti-corruption and narcotics operations with international partners.
The group said Nigeria’s justice system risked losing credibility if politically exposed persons continued to receive leniency.
“Pardoning individuals convicted for drug trafficking, financial crimes, and other serious offences sends the wrong signal to Nigeria’s international partners and undermines the credibility of our justice system,” the statement read.
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Public criticism has mounted since the government published the list of pardoned individuals, which includes convicted drug offenders and Maryam Sanda, sentenced in 2020 for murdering her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
CISLAC said the decision undermines years of work by anti-graft and law enforcement agencies.
“It’s an insult to the justice system and a slap in the face of the anti-corruption agencies who risked their lives to bring some of these people to justice,” the group lamented.
The organisation also accused the government of favouring the elite while neglecting thousands of poor inmates still awaiting trial for minor offences.
“You have people in prison for petty crimes or no trial at all for 10 to 20 years, but here we are watching the state extend mercy to individuals who have done real damage,” it said.
CISLAC warned that the pardons could embolden organised crime and allow offenders to re-enter society with no accountability.
“Pardon implies that they never committed a crime. We are effectively rewriting history and absolving criminals of responsibility,” Rafsanjani warned.
The organisation called for an urgent reform of the pardon process, insisting that clemency should be reserved for non-violent offenders and those awaiting trial.
It concluded that the decision “reflects poor judgment and political expediency at the expense of justice and national interest.”