Presidency Justifies Granting 175 Inmates, Ex-Convicts Clemency
Following a backlash that greeted the clemency granted 175 inmates and ex-convicts by President Bola Tinubu after last Thursday’s meeting of the National Council of States (NCS), the Presidency has risen in stout defence of the action, insisting that some beneficiaries had shown remorse and been of good conduct while others were pardoned due to old age, acquisition of new vocational skills or enrolment at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who released the full list of the beneficiaries in a statement issued yesterday, identified those granted clemency to include repentant drug offenders, illegal miners, white-collar convicts, and foreigners.
In the statement entitled “Details of The Presidential Pardon and Clemency”, which was issued yesterday, the presidency listed the names of all the 175 inmates and ex-convicts granted amnesty, said: “Illegal miners, white-collar convicts, remorseful drug offenders, foreigners, Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight were among the 175 convicts and former convicts who received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mercy on Thursday.
“President Tinubu granted clemency to most of them based on the reports that the convicts had shown remorse and good conduct. He forgave some due to old age, the acquisition of new vocational skills, or enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
“President Tinubu also corrected the historic injustice committed by British colonialists against Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists.
“In all, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, recommended pardon for two inmates, 15 former convicts, 11 of whom have died.
The committee recommended clemency for 82 inmates and commutation of sentences for 65 inmates. Seven inmates on death row also benefited from the Presidential reprieve. The committee recommended that the President should commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.”
“Prince Fagbemi presented the committee’s report at the Council of State meeting, chaired by President Tinubu.”
