President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exercised his constitutional power of mercy, granting presidential pardons to 175 persons, including notable historical figures such as Herbert Macaulay, Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa (retd), and members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four.
The decision, ratified by the National Council of State at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, follows recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Macaulay, often referred to as the “Father of Nigerian Nationalism”, was twice convicted by the British colonial authorities, including a 1913 conviction for alleged misappropriation and a 1928 sedition case related to his advocacy for Lagos’s Oba. Vatsa, executed in 1986 for alleged treason, was also posthumously pardoned.
Other beneficiaries include former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan, Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barrister Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, who were pardoned to facilitate reintegration into society.
Of the total beneficiaries, 82 inmates were granted full pardons, 65 had their prison terms reduced, and seven death row inmates had sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The committee considered factors such as age, health, length of service, remorse, and good behaviour in custody.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, highlighted that the exercise represents a commitment to justice, rehabilitation, and human rights, while recognising the symbolic importance of honouring figures who shaped Nigeria’s history.
