President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardons to several prominent Nigerians, including nationalist Herbert Macaulay and the late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, as well as extended clemency to 82 inmates across the country.
According to a statement released on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the decision followed the approval of the National Council of State during its meeting held in Abuja.
The posthumous pardon for Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 after being convicted of treason, marks a symbolic act of national reconciliation. Similarly, Herbert Macaulay, revered as one of Nigeria’s founding fathers and co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), was posthumously pardoned over what the President described as an “unjust colonial conviction” dating back to 1913.
In addition, President Tinubu granted pardons to four former convicts, including former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan, Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barrister Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, citing their remorse and rehabilitation. Others granted clemency include Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life sentence for a drug-related offence, and Dr Nwogu Peters, who had served 12 out of a 17-year term for fraud.
In a historic gesture, the President also posthumously pardoned the Ogoni Nine—Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine—while awarding national honours to the Ogoni Four: Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.
Exercising his constitutional powers of mercy, President Tinubu approved clemency for 82 inmates, reduced the prison terms of 65 others, and commuted the death sentences of seven inmates to life imprisonment.
The decision followed the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi. The committee, inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in January 2025, comprises 12 members, including representatives from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Human Rights Commission, and faith-based organizations.
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The Committee’s report noted that 175 inmates were interviewed, while 62 applications were received on behalf of 119 others, totaling 294 cases considered.
Out of these, 175 beneficiaries were recommended for various forms of clemency, including full pardons, commutations, and term reductions.
The recommendations were guided by key criteria, including old age, ill health, long-term imprisonment with good conduct, and evidence of rehabilitation through vocational training.
President Tinubu described the exercise as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to justice, rehabilitation, and human dignity, while urging beneficiaries to embrace reform and contribute positively to society.