President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted posthumous pardons to Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 over a treason charge, and Herbert Macaulay, the nationalist and co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), alongside several other notable Nigerians.
The President’s decision followed the endorsement of the National Council of State, which met in Abuja on Thursday to consider the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM).
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the move underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to justice, fairness, and reconciliation.“Major General Mamman Vatsa, a distinguished soldier, poet, and patriot, has been granted a posthumous pardon, nearly four decades after his death.
The President also extended a posthumous pardon to Herbert Macaulay, whose unjust conviction by British colonial authorities in 1913 barred him from public office,” Onanuga said.
He noted that Macaulay’s pardon symbolically corrects a historical injustice, restoring the reputation of a man widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism and one of the architects of the country’s independence movement.
In addition to the posthumous pardons, President Tinubu also granted clemency to several individuals and inmates across the country.
Among those pardoned are Farouk Lawan, former member of the House of Representatives; Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barrister Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu — all of whom were pardoned to enable them reintegrate into society, having demonstrated sufficient remorse.
Other beneficiaries include Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life sentence for cocaine possession, and Dr. Nwogu Peters, who had served 12 years of a 17-year sentence for fraud.
Furthermore, President Tinubu formally pardoned the Ogoni Nine — including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and others executed in 1995 — and awarded posthumous national honours to the Ogoni Four: Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.“
In exercising his constitutional power of mercy, President Tinubu granted clemency to 82 inmates and reduced the prison terms of 65 others. He also commuted the death sentences of seven inmates to life imprisonment,” Onanuga explained.
He added that the PACPM, chaired by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), presented its final report to the Council of State after reviewing 294 applications from across the country.
The committee’s recommendations were guided by key criteria, including old age (60 years and above), terminal illness, good conduct, remorse, and long-term incarceration with exemplary behaviour.
“The President’s action reflects his belief in the power of mercy and rehabilitation. It is a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s humanity and the principle that justice should be balanced with compassion,” Onanuga said.
The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy was inaugurated on January 15, 2025, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, as part of efforts to promote justice reform, inmate rehabilitation, and respect for human rights in Nigeria.
