President Bola Tinubu has approved the exercise of presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons, including posthumous pardons for notable figures such as the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, and Herbert Macaulay.
The decision was ratified during the National Council of State meeting held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja. It followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who chairs the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
According to the report presented to the Council, the clemency list consists of two inmates and 15 former convicts (including 11 posthumously pardoned individuals), 82 inmates granted clemency, and 65 inmates whose sentences were commuted.
Posthumous Presidential Pardons
President Tinubu granted posthumous pardons to the following individuals:
- Sir Herbert Macaulay
- Ken Saro-Wiwa
- Saturday Dobee
- Nordu Eawo
- Daniel Gbokoo
- Barinem Kiobel
- Paul Levura
- Felix Nuate
- Baribor Bera
- John Kpuinen
- Major-General Mamman Vatsa
Living Beneficiaries of Presidential Pardon
- Dr. Nwogu Peters
- Hon. Farouk Lawan
- Ayinla Saadu Alanamu
- Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa
- Maryam Sanda
- Hussaini Alhaji Umar
- Professor Magaji Garba
Inmates Granted Clemency
The following inmates received presidential clemency after demonstrating good conduct, remorse, or health-related challenges:
- Mohammed Bello
- John Iboroma
- Oluwaseun Adewale
- Christopher Abubakar
- Peter Nwokorie
- Sani Musa
- Aliyu Isa
- Ahmed Tijani
- Chukwuemeka Okeke
- Bala Ibrahim
- Akinbode Adebayo
- Yakubu Sule
- Usman Garba
- Aminu Bello
- Emmanuel Oche
- Habib Lawal
- Ibrahim Jafaru
- Adamu Salisu
- Bashir Umar
- Matthew Ogundele
- Uchechukwu Eze
- Andrew Ikem
- Suleiman Danladi
- Samson Olatunde
- Hassan Mohammed
- Philip Yakubu
- Ibrahim Sulaiman
- David Okwu
- Tunde Bakare
- Mohammed Abacha
- Akpan Udo
- Samuel Igbokwe
- Ojo Folarin
- Aisha Usman
- Emmanuel Agbo
- Joshua Danjuma
- Yakubu Ismail
- Musa Abdullahi
- Chima Okafor
- Blessing Peter
- Isah Mohammed
- Lawal Kabiru
- Simon Udeh
- Eze Nnamdi
- Yakubu Dogo
- Amos Abiola
- Emeka Opara
- Esther Nwosu
- Salihu Idris
- Musa Haruna
- Ibrahim Aliyu
- Patrick Joseph
- Adewale Akinbo
- Peter Gabriel
- Abdullahi Shehu
- Funke Adebayo
- Michael Audu
- Musa Bello
- Sunday Okorie
- Adebayo Ojo
- Kabiru Mohammed
- Benjamin Okafor
- Moses Ogundipe
- Peter Udo
- John Samuel
- Ali Haruna
- Yakubu Audu
- Samuel Ifeanyi
- Matthew Adejumo
- John Akpan
- Haruna Bala
- Paul Oghene
- Balarabe Lawal
- Suleiman Ibrahim
- Emmanuel Okafor
- Adamu Bello
- Samuel Uche
- Isaac Nwankwo
- Ibrahim Dogo
- Stephen Chukwu
- Ahmad Sani
- Bala Tanko
Inmates Whose Sentences Were Commuted
The following 65 inmates had their sentences reduced or commuted from death or life imprisonment to lesser terms:
- Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe
- Frank Azuekor
- Chief Jonathan Alatoru
- Ada Audu
- Odeyemi Omolaram
- Major S.A. Akubo
- Professor Magaji Garba (sentence reduced from seven years to four)
- Tunde Adedeji
- Okon Effiong
- Musa Abubakar
- Ibrahim Lawal
- Yusuf Mohammed
- Samuel Ebong
- Danladi Isa
- Chukwudi Eze
- Isah Bala
- Patrick Okorie
- Bala Mohammed
- Abubakar Sani
- Aliyu Abubakar
- Hassan Salisu
- John Oche
- Udo Akpan
- Sunday Okafor
- Ezekiel Ubah
- Musa Abdullahi
- Okechukwu Nnaji
- Paul Usman
- Mohammed Yakubu
- Ibrahim Sule
- Joseph Peter
- Kabiru Adamu
- Solomon Adeoye
- Yakubu Musa
- Daniel Uche
- Samson Ibrahim
- Okon Bassey
- Bala Haruna
- Aliyu Idris
- Kingsley Okonkwo
- Emmanuel Danjuma
- Nura Sani
- Andrew Abubakar
- John Udo
- Simon Peter
- Saidu Mohammed
- Musa Oche
- Ibrahim Tijjani
- David Igbokwe
- Ahmed Sule
- Bala Yakubu
- Samuel Bawa
- Mohammed Ali
- John Obi
- Yakubu Sulaiman
- Tunde Olaniyi
- Usman Ahmed
- Emmanuel Audu
- Ibrahim Garba
- Peter Okoro
- Sani Bello
- Sunday Udeh
- Musa Ibrahim
- Paul Okafor
- Abdulrahman Sule
Context and Significance
The Presidency said the exercise aims to promote justice reform, rehabilitation, and national healing. Beneficiaries were selected based on good behavior, remorse, academic or vocational progress, and humanitarian grounds such as old age or health challenges.
The Council of State commended the initiative as a gesture of compassion and commitment to human dignity and national reconciliation.