By Tayo Aderinola
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Instruments of Clemency and Pardons, officially invoking his constitutional powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to grant pardon, clemency, and commutation of sentences to selected individuals.
According to a statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the approval followed wide consultations with the Council of State and inputs from the public on the list of beneficiaries.
The President also ordered a comprehensive review of earlier recommendations to ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment with national security priorities. Consequently, individuals convicted of kidnapping, drug and human trafficking, fraud, or unlawful possession of firearms were excluded from the list.
Tinubu explained that the decision was guided by the need to uphold public confidence in the justice system, protect victims’ rights, and motivate law enforcement agencies, stressing that “justice must remain a three-way traffic — for the accused, the victim, and the state.”
The final list of beneficiaries has been forwarded to the Nigerian Correctional Service for immediate implementation.
In a major reform move, President Tinubu also directed the relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice, and instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation to draft new guidelines for future clemency exercises, including mandatory consultation with prosecuting agencies.
Among those granted presidential pardon are Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar, Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, Hon. Farouk Lawan, and posthumously, Major General Mamman Vatsa, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, and Barinem Kiobel, all executed during the Abacha regime.
Those whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment include Emmanuel Baba, Abubakar Usman, Khalifa Umar, and Mohammed Umar, while 15 others, such as Oroka Michael Chibueze, Adesanya Olufemi Paul, Daniel Bodunwa, and Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa, received clemency.
President Tinubu thanked Nigerians for their feedback and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to justice reform, fairness, and the rule of law.
The Instruments of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy were signed in Abuja on October 21, 2025.
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