President Tinubu Grants Pardon and Clemency to 175 Convicts and Former Convicts

Illegal miners, white-collar offenders, remorseful drug convicts, foreigners, as well as high-profile individuals such as Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major S.A. Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, and capital offenders including Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight, were among the 175 beneficiaries of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s act of mercy announced on Thursday.

President Tinubu extended clemency to most of them based on reports indicating their remorse, good conduct, and positive transformation. Some were pardoned due to old age, health conditions, acquisition of vocational skills, or enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The President also corrected a historical injustice by granting posthumous pardon to Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, who was unjustly convicted by the British colonial authorities.

The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, recommended clemency for 175 individuals. The recommendations included full pardons for two inmates and 15 former convicts (11 of whom are deceased), clemency for 82 inmates, commutation of sentences for 65, and the conversion of death sentences to life imprisonment for seven inmates.

Prince Fagbemi presented the Committee’s report during the Council of State meeting presided over by President Tinubu.

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FULL LIST OF BENEFICIARIES OF PRESIDENT TINUBU’S CLEMENCY

PARDONED

1. Nweke Francis Chibueze, 44 – Serving life sentence at Kirikiri for cocaine.

2. Dr. Nwogu Peters, 67 – Serving 17 years for fraud since 2013.

3. Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaoba, 63 – Served sentence for fraud.

4. Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar, 58 – Sentenced in 2023 to pay ₦150m fine (ICPC case).

5. Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, 63 – Served seven years for bribery, sentenced in 2019.

6. Hon. Farouk M. Lawan, 62 – Served five-year sentence (2021) for corrupt practices.

POSTHUMOUS PARDONS

7. Sir Herbert Macaulay – Convicted in 1913 by British colonialists for misappropriation of funds.

8. Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, 46 – Executed in 1986 for alleged treason.

THE OGONI NINE (Posthumous Pardon)

Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawa, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine — all convicted of murder in 1995.

HONOURED OGONI NINE VICTIMS:

Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobaru, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage.

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PRESIDENTIAL CLEMENCY

Most beneficiaries demonstrated remorse, acquired new skills, or displayed good behaviour while incarcerated.

The list includes individuals convicted for offences such as drug trafficking, illegal mining, theft, and other related crimes.
Among them are:

Aluagwu Lawrence (47) – jailed for Indian hemp (2015);

Ben Friday (60) – jailed for marijuana (2023);

Kelvin Christopher Smith (42) – jailed for cocaine importation (2023);

Several illegal miners aged between 18 and 50, each sentenced to three years, also benefited, following an undertaking signed by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis to oversee their rehabilitation and empowerment;

High-profile beneficiaries include Maryam Sanda (37), sentenced to death in 2020 for culpable homicide, whose sentence was reviewed due to her good conduct, remorse, and family pleas highlighting the welfare of her two children.

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COMMUTATION OF SENTENCES (REDUCED TERMS)

A total of 65 inmates had their sentences reduced due to good conduct, remorse, advanced age, or educational pursuits.
Notable among them are:

Professor Magaji Garba (67) – sentence reduced from 7 to 4 years for false pretence (2021);

Major S.A. Akubo (62) – sentence commuted from life to 20 years for illegal possession of arms (2009);

Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe (44) and Frank Azuekor (42) – both convicted of kidnapping; sentences reduced from 20 to 13 years after completing studies at NOUN;

Napolo Osariemen (61) – sentence reduced from 15 to 7 years for cannabis-related offence (2022).

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INMATES ON DEATH ROW COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Seven inmates originally sentenced to death had their sentences converted to life imprisonment based on demonstrated remorse and good conduct, including:

1. Emmanuel Baba (38) – sentenced in 2017 for culpable homicide.

2. Emmanuel Gladstone (45) – sentenced in 2020 for murder.

3. Moses Ayodele Olorunfemi (51) – sentenced in 2012 for culpable homicide.

4. Abubakar Usman (59) – sentenced in 2014 for murder.

5. Khalifa Umar (37) – sentenced in 2014 for culpable homicide.

6. Benjamin Ekeze (40) – sentenced in 2017 for armed robbery.

7. Mohammed Umar (43) – sentenced in 2018 for culpable homicide.

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Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy)
October 11, 2025