Tinubu Sh*cks Nation With Presidential Pardon: Maryam Sanda, Vatsa, Saro-Wiwa Among 175 Beneficiaries

The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled the complete list of 175 individuals granted presidential pardon and clemency.

The list was made public on Saturday through a press statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

According to the statement, those who benefited from the presidential clemency include illegal miners, white-collar offenders, remorseful drug convicts, foreigners, and capital offenders, among others. Notable names on the list include Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major S.A. Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight.

President Tinubu granted clemency to several convicts based on demonstrated remorse, good conduct, old age, or participation in educational and vocational programs, such as those offered by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The President also posthumously corrected a historical injustice against Sir Herbert Macaulay, who was convicted by the British colonial government in 1913.

The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi (SAN), recommended the pardons. The committee’s report, presented at the Council of State meeting chaired by President Tinubu, covered pardon for two inmates and 15 deceased former convicts, clemency for 82 inmates, and commutation of sentences for 65 others, including seven inmates previously on death row, whose sentences were converted to life imprisonment.

The comprehensive list of beneficiaries spans a range of offences, from drug trafficking and fraud to unlawful mining and manslaughter, reflecting the government’s effort to promote rehabilitation, justice reform, and national reconciliation.