President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardon and clemency to 175 individuals, including posthumous pardons for late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa and nationalist Herbert Macaulay.
The decision followed the endorsement of recommendations by the National Council of State, which met on Thursday, October 9, at the State House in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the gesture was part of the administration’s effort to promote justice, rehabilitation, and national healing.
“The President granted posthumous pardons to late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa and nationalist Herbert Macaulay,” Onanuga confirmed.
Vatsa, a poet and former military general, was executed in 1986 after being convicted of treason.
His posthumous pardon comes nearly four decades after his death.
Similarly, Herbert Macaulay, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists and the co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), was pardoned for a conviction imposed by colonial authorities in 1913.
“This pardon is not only an act of mercy but a restoration of honor to men who contributed to Nigeria’s history,” the statement added.
The President also pardoned former lawmaker Farouk Lawan and three others Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barrister Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu after they were found to have shown genuine remorse and readiness to reintegrate into society.
In addition, clemency was extended to 82 inmates, while the prison terms of 65 others were reduced.
Seven death sentences were also commuted to life imprisonment, signaling a broader humanitarian push in Nigeria’s justice system.
President Tinubu also pardoned the nine executed Ogoni activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, and Barinem Kiobel, among others.
Furthermore, posthumous national honors were awarded to Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage for their environmental and social justice contributions.
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), reviewed the cases and made the final recommendations.
The PACPM, inaugurated in January 2025 by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, evaluated 294 cases before presenting its report.
The committee’s criteria for clemency included age (60 years and above), terminal illness, long-term good behavior in prison, and demonstrated remorse.
“The goal is to strengthen fairness, justice, and rehabilitation within Nigeria’s correctional system,” the committee stated.
