Tinubu Grants Historic Pardons: Herbert Macaulay, Vatsa, Ogoni 9, Farouk Lawan Cleared — 82 Inmates Get Clemency
By Lagos Panorama
In an unprecedented gesture of national reconciliation and justice reform, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted historic presidential pardons to several prominent Nigerians, including Herbert Macaulay, Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine, while also approving clemency for 82 inmates and commuting seven death sentences to life imprisonment.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the decision followed the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and endorsed by the National Council of State at its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
The posthumous pardon of Herbert Macaulay, revered as the Father of Nigerian Nationalism, marks a symbolic correction of colonial injustice. Convicted by British authorities in 1913 and barred from public service, Macaulay’s record is now cleared more than a century later.
Equally, Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 on a treason charge, has been posthumously pardoned, recognizing his contributions as a soldier and poet.
President Tinubu also approved clemency for Farouk Lawan, former legislator; Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia; Barrister Hussaini Umar; and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, citing demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.
In a major act of reconciliation, Tinubu extended posthumous pardons to the Ogoni Nine, led by environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, while conferring national honours on the Ogoni Four — Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.
The PACPM reviewed 294 cases, applying humane criteria including old age, terminal illness, long service, and good conduct in correctional facilities.
“The exercise demonstrates the President’s commitment to justice, mercy, and national healing,” Onanuga stated, describing it as “a landmark move that blends compassion with constitutional responsibility.”
