The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has yet been released under the recent Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the process is still undergoing final administrative review.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), made this known in a statement on Thursday, amid growing public interest in the status of those listed for clemency.
President Tinubu had recently approved the pardon of 175 Nigerians, including the late nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay; environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa; and the late Major-General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over alleged coup plotting.
Also on the list were Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, and several inmates whose sentences were commuted or reduced by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
However, Fagbemi explained that the release process was still at the final administrative stage, which involves detailed verification to ensure all beneficiaries meet legal and procedural standards.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy has been released from custody,” Fagbemi stated.
He said the Council of State had already approved the recommendations, but the final phase required legal scrutiny before formal instruments of release could be issued to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“The process remains at the final administrative stage, which includes a standard review to ensure that all names and recommendations fully comply with established legal and procedural requirements before any instrument of release is issued,” he added.
According to him, the review is part of standard government protocol designed to uphold transparency, due diligence, and the rule of law.
Fagbemi also dismissed speculations about delay, stressing that the process must follow legal provisions “to the letter” to ensure fairness and accountability.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,” he said.
The Minister assured Nigerians that the public would be informed once the final clearance and legal formalities are completed.
“As soon as all legal and procedural checks are concluded, the public will be duly informed. The rule of law does not rush; it ensures fairness,” he concluded.
The Presidential Prerogative of Mercy is part of President Tinubu’s broader reform agenda aimed at promoting justice, national reconciliation, and prison decongestion.
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