President Bola Tinubu has granted clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts, with the Presidency explaining that the decision was guided by several factors, including remorse, good conduct, old age, acquisition of vocational skills, and enrolment in educational programmes.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, recommended the pardons after careful evaluation.
The Presidency stated that President Tinubu approved clemency for most beneficiaries based on reports confirming their remorse and good behaviour while in custody.
Other factors considered included age, health status, vocational training, enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), time already served, and family situations, especially for inmates with dependent children.
The comprehensive list includes two inmates granted full pardon, 15 former convicts pardoned (11 posthumously), 82 inmates granted clemency, 65 whose sentences were reduced, and seven death row inmates whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
Among those pardoned are Nweke Francis Chibueze, 44, serving a life term for cocaine, and Dr. Nwogu Peters, 67, serving 17 years for fraud since 2013.
Also pardoned was Hon. Farouk M. Lawan, 62, who had served a five-year sentence for corruption imposed in 2021. Other recipients of full pardon include Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaoba, 63, convicted of fraud; Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar, 58, fined N150 million in an ICPC case; and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, 63, sentenced to seven years for bribery in 2019.
President Tinubu also addressed historical injustices by granting posthumous pardons to nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay, convicted in 1913 by colonial authorities, and Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 for an alleged coup.
The Ogoni Nine — including Ken Saro-Wiwa and his associates — also received posthumous pardons, while their victims, Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobaru, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage, were formally honoured.
A large portion of the beneficiaries were illegal miners sentenced in 2024, such as Babangida Saliu, 35, and Adamu Sanni, 39. Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis undertook responsibility for their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Several drug offenders also benefitted, including Aluagwu Lawrence, 47; Ben Friday, 60; and Oroke Micheal Chibueze, 21, all convicted for cannabis-related crimes. Others include Kelvin Christopher Smith, 42, convicted for cocaine importation, and Akinrinnade Adebiyi, 47, jailed for Tramadol trafficking.
The Presidency confirmed clemency for Ahmed Adeyemo, 38, sentenced to 15 years for cannabis and who had already served over nine years, as well as Adeniyi Jimoh, 31, and Seun Omirinde, 39, both serving drug-related sentences since 2015.
White-collar offenders also featured on the list, including Daniel Bodunwa, 43, jailed for forgery, and Rabiu Alhassan Dawaki, 52, convicted of breach of trust in 2020.
Maryam Sanda, 37, convicted of killing her husband and sentenced to death in 2020, was granted pardon after serving six years and eight months, following pleas from her family citing her remorse and transformation.
Human trafficking offenders, such as Ife Yusuf, 37, and Patricia Echoe Igninovia, 61, also received clemency, with Igninovia’s sentence reduced from seven to five years.
For the 65 inmates whose sentences were commuted, reasons included good conduct, advanced age, ill health, and active participation in education and vocational training. Examples include Yusuf Owolabi, 36, and Ifeanyi Eze, 33, both serving life terms for manslaughter, whose sentences were reduced to 12 years.
Professor Magaji Garba, 67, convicted in 2021 for fraud, had his sentence reduced from seven to four years due to good behaviour and age, while Major S.A. Akubo, 62, convicted in 2009 for arms offences, had his life term commuted to 20 years.
Several inmates convicted of conspiracy to hijack a fishing vessel in 2020 also had their 12-year sentences reduced to six years, with fines waived.
Death row inmates whose sentences were commuted include Emmanuel Baba, 38; Emmanuel Gladstone, 45; Moses Ayodele Olurunfemi, 51; and Abubakar Usman, 59, among others, all recognised for good conduct and remorse.
The report by the Presidential Advisory Committee was presented at the Council of State meeting chaired by President Tinubu on Thursday.
The Presidency described the exercise as one of the most extensive acts of executive clemency in recent history, covering offences from drug trafficking and fraud to violent crimes and historical injustices.
