President Tinubu Directs Review of Presidential Pardon List

By Reporter

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy to conduct a further review of the initially approved list of beneficiaries of the presidential pardon, excluding individuals convicted of serious offences such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession or dealing in firearms.

Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Wednesday, said that President Tinubu also approved the relocation of the Secretariat of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee to the Ministry of Justice and assented to the instruments of clemency and pardon.

The President noted that the review was guided by the concept of justice, which he described as a three-way traffic involving the accused, the victim, and the state or society.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has executed the relevant instruments of release to complete the process of formally exercising his constitutional power of prerogative of mercy to grant pardon and clemency to specific individuals who were earlier convicted for various offences.

“Following consultations with the Council of State and public opinion on the matter, the President directed a further review of the initially approved list for consideration in furtherance of the President’s discretionary powers under Section 175(1)(&(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Consequently, certain persons convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, unlawful possession of firearms/arms dealing, etc, were deleted from the list. Others who had been hitherto pardoned in the old list had their sentences commuted.

“This action became necessary in view of the seriousness and security implications of some of the offences, the need to be sensitive to the feelings of the victims of the crimes and society in general, the need to boost the morale of law enforcement agencies, and adherence to bilateral obligations. The concept of justice as a three-way traffic for the Accused, the Victim, and the State/Society also guided the review.”

The President also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to issue appropriate Guidelines for the Exercise of the Power of Prerogative of Mercy, which includes compulsory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies.

President Tinubu said this will ensure that only persons who fully meet the stipulated legal and procedural requirements will henceforth benefit from the issuance of instruments of release.

New Approved List
The new approved list of eligible beneficiaries reflected commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment for four, 15 for clemency, and 15 for grant of pardon.

Mr Onanuga further revealed that the list of beneficiaries has been transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation in line with the duly signed instruments of release.

Reaffirming the Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to judicial reforms and improving the administration of justice in Nigeria, Mr Onanuga conveyed the appreciation of the President to the stakeholders and the general public on the matter.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu granted presidential pardon to Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, sentenced to death over a treason charge in 1986, and a posthumous pardon to Herbert Macaulay, a Nigerian nationalist and co-founder, along with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC).

The President also awarded national honours to the Ogoni Four – Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.

In its earlier report, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, which previously operated under the Federal Ministry of Special Duties, stated that a total of 175 inmates were interviewed, while 62 applications were received on behalf of 119 inmates, bringing the total number of cases considered by the committee to 294.

“One hundred and sixty of the inmates interviewed were male, while 15 were female. Eighty-two inmates were recommended for clemency; two (2) for pardon; sixty-five (65) inmates for reduction of their terms of imprisonment, and seven (7) inmates on death row for commutation to life imprisonment.

“Also, fifteen (15) ex-convicts were recommended for Presidential Pardon, eleven (11) of them are deceased (including Ogoni 9). The Ogoni four (4) were also recommended for the Post-Humous National Honours Award.

“On the whole, a total of one hundred and seventy-five (175) beneficiaries are recommended.’’