The Federal Government has clarified that no convict has been released under President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon, as the process is still going through final administrative review.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in an official statement made available to journalists.
According to the AGF, although President Tinubu approved a list of 175 people for clemency — including historical and controversial figures — no release has been made, as the process has not yet reached completion.
“The Office of the Attorney-General wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy has been released from custody,” the statement read.
“The process remains at the final administrative stage, which includes a standard review to ensure that all names and recommendations fully comply with established legal and procedural requirements before any instrument of release is issued.”
The clemency list, which was approved by the National Council of State, includes some notable and historical figures such as:
Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists;
Ken Saro-Wiwa, the late Ogoni environmental activist executed by a military tribunal in 1995;
Major General Mamman Vatsa, a former military officer executed in 1986 over an alleged coup plot during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida;
And Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
While the announcement of clemency stirred public attention and debates, the government has now moved to calm concerns, stressing that each case is still being reviewed thoroughly before any official release.
The statement by the AGF suggests that the government is following proper procedures to ensure that only deserving individuals benefit from the president’s prerogative of mercy, a constitutional power that allows the president to grant pardons, commute sentences, or offer reprieves.
The Prerogative of Mercy is usually exercised on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy and requires final approval from the Council of State — a constitutional body made up of former presidents, governors, and top judicial officers.
President Tinubu’s recent decision to grant clemency follows this process, but the formal instruments of release (which are the legal documents authorizing freedom) are yet to be issued.
Once the final review is completed, and the release documents are signed, the beneficiaries will be freed from custody or have their sentences officially commuted. Until then, all individuals on the pardon list remain in detention or under their current legal status.
