Tinubu Pardons Herbert Macaulay, Vatsa, Lawan; Grants Clemency to 82 Inmates

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exercised his constitutional power to grant pardons and clemency to a total of 175 individuals, including historic figures and current inmates, following the endorsement of the National Council of State in Abuja on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

Among those granted posthumous pardons are Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a poet and military officer executed in 1986 on treason charges, and Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria’s foremost nationalist who co-founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) alongside Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. Macaulay was unjustly convicted by British colonial authorities in 1913 and banned from public office until his death in 1946. This presidential pardon officially restores Macaulay’s reputation and clears the colonial injustice recorded against him .

The Ogoni Nine environmental activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues, were formally pardoned posthumously with this move described as both symbolic and restorative. Additionally, national honours were awarded to four other Ogoni leaders, recognizing their contributions and sacrifices .

The clemency extended to 82 inmates whose sentences were fully commuted, while 65 others had their prison terms reduced. Furthermore, sentences of seven inmates on death row were commuted to life imprisonment. The pardons also included four former convicts who demonstrated remorse and readiness to reintegrate, among them Farouk Lawan, a former House of Representatives member. Others like Nweke Francis Chibueze (serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking) and Dr. Nwogu Peters (convicted of fraud) were also pardoned or had sentences commuted based on their conduct and time served .

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This exercise followed a detailed vetting process by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi, backed by representatives from law enforcement, correctional services, human rights commissions, and religious bodies. The committee interviewed 175 inmates and reviewed 294 applications based on criteria including old age, health status, length of sentence served, good behavior, and remorse. Their report was formally presented to the Council of State, culminating in the presidential approval .

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, inaugurated the PACPM in January 2025 as a significant step towards justice and rehabilitation in the Nigerian correctional system .

This sweeping presidential clemency marks a major corrective action on historical injustices and a progressive step in Nigeria’s justice system, reflecting President Tinubu’s commitment to human rights, rehabilitation, and national healing .