Esther Salifu
President Bola Tinubu has moved to tighten Nigeria’s clemency process, cancelling the pardon earlier granted to 175 convicts and introducing stricter procedures for future mercy approvals.
The decision marks a significant shift toward stronger accountability and institutional oversight in the country’s justice system.
The Presidency announced on Wednesday that Tinubu ordered a comprehensive review of the list approved by the National Council of State on October 9, 2025, following widespread criticism over the inclusion of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including kidnapping, drug trafficking, and homicide.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President confirmed that a number of convicts initially pardoned had now been delisted after a due-process reassessment. “Certain persons convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, and arms dealing were removed from the list,” the statement said.
The decision, according to the Presidency, followed “broad consultations” with the Council of State and other stakeholders, and was guided by the principle that justice must balance the interests of the accused, the victims, and the wider society.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), explained that the revised clemency instruments gazetted on October 23 reduced the total number of beneficiaries from 175 to 120.
The updated list features only 15 full pardons, mostly for historic or non-violent cases, while several high-profile convicts, including Maryam Sanda, previously sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of her husband, now face reduced prison terms instead of freedom.
Fagbemi added that the review uncovered procedural lapses in the earlier recommendations made by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy. “Some persons were found not to have met the legal and procedural requirements for mercy. Their names have therefore been deleted,” he stated.
As part of a broader reform, Tinubu also directed that the Secretariat of the Advisory Committee be moved from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice. New guidelines will now mandate “compulsory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies” before any future list of clemency candidates reaches the President’s desk.
“This will ensure that only persons who genuinely meet the stipulated legal and procedural standards benefit from the prerogative of mercy,” the Presidency said.
The final list, transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation, retains a small number of symbolic and historical pardons, including nationalist Herbert Macaulay, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa, and members of the “Ogoni Nine,” executed in 1995.
By acting swiftly to reverse the controversial pardons, Tinubu signaled an intention to reinforce public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system. Presidential aides described the move as part of his administration’s “commitment to fairness, transparency, and reform in the administration of justice.”
