Abuja, Nigeria – In a historic move, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardon and clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts, including notable historical figures and controversial cases, as announced during a Council of State meeting on Thursday.

The decision, reflects a broad initiative to address past injustices, recognize rehabilitation, and offer mercy based on various criteria such as remorse, good conduct, and advanced age.

The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General and Justice Minister Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, presented a comprehensive report that formed the basis of this unprecedented pardon.

The beneficiaries include:

Pardons: A total of 82 inmates and 15 former convicts, including 11 posthumous pardons, were fully pardoned. Among the notable posthumous recipients are:

Sir Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria's foremost nationalist, whose 1913 conviction for misappropriation of funds by British colonialists has been overturned, correcting a long-standing historical injustice.

Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa and Major Akubo, executed in 1986 for an alleged coup plot.

The Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, and others, executed in 1995 for murder charges widely believed to be politically motivated due to their activism against Shell's oil operations in Ogoniland.

The pardon also honors the victims of the Ogoni Nine case, including Chiefs Albert Badey, Edward Kobaru, Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.

Clemency: 65 inmates had their sentences commuted, with many cited for showing remorse, acquiring vocational skills, or enrolling in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Examples include Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, and Dr. Nwogu Peters, a 67-year-old fraud convict.

Commuted Death Sentences: Seven inmates on death row, including Maryam Sanda (sentenced for culpable homicide) and Lina Kusum Wilson, had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment.

Sanda’s release was notably influenced by pleas from her family, highlighting her good conduct and commitment to her children.

Illegal Miners and Other Offenders:

A significant group of 58 individuals convicted of unlawful mining, alongside others convicted of drug offenses, fraud, and violent crimes, benefited from clemency or reduced sentences.

Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis has undertaken to oversee their rehabilitation and empowerment.

President Tinubu’s decision was guided by reports of the convicts’ remorse, good behavior, and efforts toward self-improvement. The inclusion of elderly prisoners and those with health issues also played a role.

The posthumous pardon of Herbert Macaulay addresses decades of controversy, with historians like Patrick Dele-Cole arguing his 1913 trial was marred by unfair persecution.

Similarly, the Ogoni Nine’s pardon, while welcomed by some, has been criticized by Amnesty International as falling short of full exoneration and justice for the Niger Delta communities.

While many applaud the gesture as a step toward reconciliation and rehabilitation, others question the inclusion of high-profile figures like Maryam Sanda and the Ogoni Nine, calling for greater transparency and accountability.

The pardon of illegal miners has also raised concerns about enforcement of mining regulations.

The Council of State meeting, chaired by President Tinubu, also ratified appointments, including Dr. Aminu Yusuf as Chairman of the National Population Commission, signaling a broader governance agenda alongside this mercy initiative.

As Nigeria reflects on this decision, the focus now shifts to the implementation of rehabilitation programs and the potential for further pardons to address lingering injustices.