The National Council of State, during its meeting on Thursday at the State House in Abuja, approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across various categories. The approval followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Notable among the beneficiaries are Nigeria’s founding father Herbert Macaulay, often called the “father of Nigerian nationalism,” who faced two colonial convictions for misappropriation of funds and sedition; and retired Major-General Mamman Vatsa, a poet and former FCT minister executed in 1986 after being convicted of treason in a controversial military tribunal.
Members of the Ogoni Nine, including the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the Ogoni Four also received posthumous presidential pardons, with some awarded posthumous national honours.
Out of the 175 beneficiaries, 82 inmates were granted full presidential pardon, 65 had their sentences reduced, and seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. The pardons aim to decongest correctional facilities and promote restorative justice by giving deserving inmates a second chance to reintegrate into society.
The Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy screened 294 applications, interviewing 175 inmates. Criteria for clemency included old age (60+), terminal illness, youth (under 16), long-term convicts with good conduct, and those who had acquired sustainable vocational skills or showed remorse.
This clemency initiative reflects the government’s commitment to temper justice with mercy while ensuring public safety and rehabilitation for inmates.
The full list of beneficiaries is yet to be made public, but the move has been described as symbolic, restorative, and a significant step towards Nigeria’s justice reform.
