President Tinubu Pardons Herbert Macaulay, Grants Clemency To 82 Inmates

President, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has granted Presidential pardon to a foremost Nationalist, Herbert Macaulay, Former House of Representatives Member from Kano State, Farouk Lawan and some others, following the approval of the National Council of State.

The announcement of the decision was contained in a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga on Thursday.

Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria’s Nationalist and Co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon, NCNC, received a posthumous pardon.

He was said to be unjustly convicted by British Colonial Authorities in 1913, banning him from holding public office. He died in 1946, but the blemish of his conviction remained on record until now.

On his part, Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa who was sentenced to death over a treason charge in 1986, also received a Posthumous pardon.

President Tinubu also pardoned four former convicts including Farouk Lawan, Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu—for showing sufficient remorse and readiness to reintegrate into the society.

Nweke Francis Chibueze, who was serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, was also pardoned, while Nwogu Peters, convicted of fraud and jailed for 17 years, was freed after serving 12.

The President further granted clemency to 82 inmates and reduced the prison terms of 65 others. Seven inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

In addition, President Tinubu formally pardoned the “Ogoni Nine” who fought for the rights of their people, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.

He also awarded national honours to the “Ogoni Four” — Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.

The decision to grant the pardon followed the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, PACPM), chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.