ABUJA, Oct. 9, 2025 (Chatnewstv.com) — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted posthumous pardons to Nigerian nationalist Herbert Macaulay and late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, alongside clemency for 82 inmates and reduced sentences for 65 others, in one of the most sweeping exercises of presidential mercy in recent years.
The announcement, made Thursday by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, followed the endorsement of the National Council of State, which met in Abuja. Tinubu acted on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi.
Vatsa, a poet and army general executed in 1986 under General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime over a treason charge, was among 17 individuals granted presidential pardons.
Macaulay, widely regarded as Nigeria’s first nationalist and cofounder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) alongside Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, was convicted by British colonial authorities in 1913 and barred from public office. He died in 1946.
“Macaulay’s unjust colonial conviction has now been erased,” the statement said, describing the posthumous pardon as “a symbolic restoration of dignity for a patriot who laid the foundation for Nigeria’s independence struggle.”
Tinubu also pardoned four former convicts, including ex-lawmaker Farouk Lawan, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barrister Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, citing remorse and rehabilitation. Others who benefited include Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life term for drug offenses, and Dr. Nwogu Peters, jailed for fraud.
In a historic move, the Ogoni Nine comprising environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others executed in 1995 received formal posthumous pardons. The president also conferred national honours on the Ogoni Four Chiefs Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.
The statement said Tinubu exercised his constitutional power of mercy to “advance justice, rehabilitation, and national reconciliation.”
In total, 82 inmates received clemency, 65 had their prison terms reduced, and seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
According to the PACPM report presented to the Council of State, 175 inmates were interviewed, with recommendations made based on age, health, duration of imprisonment, and demonstrated remorse.
“The committee recommended 175 beneficiaries in all, including pardons, commutations, and sentence reductions,” the report stated.
“Fifteen exconvicts were recommended for presidential pardon, 11 of whom are deceased.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, inaugurated the PACPM on January 15, 2025, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s justice and correctional systems.
“The President’s action reflects his belief that justice must be tempered with mercy,” Onanuga said.
“It is a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to fairness, human rights, and national healing.”
Editor: Gabriel Ani
