30/10/2025
55 Removed from Presidential Pardon List as Tinubu Approves Reviewed Clemency
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a reviewed list of 120 convicts to benefit from the 2025 Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, removing 55 names from the initial 175 granted clemency on October 12.
By Kennedy Okafor ( Strek Magazine )
According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delisted individuals were those convicted of serious crimes. He added that President Tinubu formally exercised his constitutional powers by signing the Instruments of Clemency and Pardon after wide consultations with the Council of State and inputs from the public.
The reviewed list has been transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), confirmed that the exercise marked the conclusion of this year’s presidential pardon process. He explained that the review was necessary to ensure only qualified individuals benefited, adding that some sentences were adjusted to reflect fairness and compassion.
The earlier list had drawn criticism for including persons convicted of grievous offences such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, fraud, and illegal possession of fi****ms.
Under the new arrangement:
15 persons received full pardon, including pre-Independence nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay, former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, and the Ogoni Nine;
4 death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment;
15 others were granted clemency; and
86 had their prison terms reduced.
Among those whose sentences were reduced is Maryam Sanda (37), previously sentenced to death for culpable homicide, now serving 12 years “on compassionate grounds.” Other beneficiaries include Yusuf Owolabi (36) and Ifeanyi Eze (33), whose life terms for manslaughter were reduced to 15 years each.
In the narcotics category, Patrick Mensah (40) had his 17-year term cut to 13, while others such as Obi Chukwu, Tunde Balogun, and Lima Diego received similar reductions.
For financial crimes, Buka Adamu (40) had his sentence reduced from 20 to 9 years, while in fi****ms-related cases, Abubakar Mamman (38) and Muhammed Bello Musa (35) had theirs cut from 10 to 7 years.
At least 45 inmates convicted for unlawful mining at the Agodi Custodial Centre, Oyo State, had their sentences reduced from three to two years.
President Tinubu also approved a structural reform—relocating the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice. He directed the Justice Minister to establish stricter guidelines for future clemency exercises, including mandatory consultation with prosecuting agencies.
The President thanked Nigerians for their vigilance and reaffirmed his commitment to a justice system that balances punishment with compassion.
“This exercise underscores the President’s desire to ensure that justice not only punishes but also reforms and redeems,” Fagbemi stated.
