President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive review of the controversial presidential pardon recently granted to 175 inmates, after nationwide outrage over the inclusion of convicts jailed for serious crimes including murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and arms dealing.
The reversal came barely three weeks after public criticism trailed the initial pardon list approved at the National Council of State meeting on October 9, 2025.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu directed that names of persons convicted of serious crimes be deleted from the list, while others had their sentences commuted.
“Consequently, certain persons convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, unlawful possession of firearms/arms dealing, etc., were deleted from the list,” the statement read.
The presidency said the decision followed wide consultations with members of the Council of State and other stakeholders, in line with Section 175 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Onanuga explained that the review was guided by national security concerns, the rights of victims, and public sentiment, noting that the President considered “justice as a three-way traffic for the accused, the victim, and society.”
The outrage intensified after it emerged that Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of a former PDP National Chairman, was among the beneficiaries.
Human rights advocates, victims’ families, and legal experts condemned her inclusion, describing it as a “mockery of justice.
” The Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) urged Tinubu to rescind what it called “a grave error of judgment.”
Following the backlash, the President ordered 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.
He also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to issue new guidelines for granting pardons, which now require compulsory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies before any clemency list is approved.
“This will ensure that only persons who fully meet the stipulated legal and procedural requirements will henceforth benefit from the issuance of instruments of release,” Onanuga stated.
The updated list of qualified beneficiaries has been transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation.
Tinubu, while appreciating the constructive feedback from Nigerians, reiterated his administration’s commitment to judicial reforms, justice delivery, and accountability in governance.
“The President remains sensitive to the feelings of victims of crime and society in general,” the statement added.
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