Tinubu Revokes Pardon for Sanda, 140 High-Profile Inmates

President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn the pardon earlier granted to 175 convicts — including those convicted of drug trafficking, kidnapping, and fraud — following widespread public outrage that trailed the clemency list released earlier this month.

The reversal came after Tinubu ordered a review of the controversial pardon approved at the National Council of State meeting held on October 9, 2025.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency explained that several individuals convicted of serious crimes were removed from the original list. Others who had previously been pardoned had their sentences commuted instead.

According to the Presidency, the decision was taken after consultations with the Council of State and in response to public feedback, invoking the President’s powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution.

The statement added that the review was necessary “in view of the seriousness and security implications of some of the offences, the need to be sensitive to the feelings of victims, boost the morale of law enforcement agencies, and ensure adherence to justice and international obligations.”

The Presidency also stated that the concept of justice as a “three-way traffic” involving the accused, the victim, and society guided the final decision.

The reversal followed intense criticism after the inclusion of Maryam Sanda, convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of a former national party chairman.

Data from the original list showed that nearly 30 per cent of those pardoned were convicted of drug-related offences, followed by illegal mining, homicide, corruption, and human trafficking.

Following the backlash, the Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), re-evaluated the list and published a revised version on October 23, 2025.

The updated gazette reduced the number of beneficiaries from 175 to 120, striking out high-profile names such as Sanda and several others. Fagbemi explained that the revision followed due process and a comprehensive review of the earlier recommendations made by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.

He noted that during the review, some individuals were found not to have met the required standards and were removed, while others had their sentences adjusted to reflect fairness and justice.

The President also directed that the Secretariat of the Advisory Committee be relocated from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice and instructed the Attorney-General to develop new guidelines for future pardons, mandating that all prosecuting agencies be consulted before any list is approved.

According to the Presidency, this would ensure that only eligible persons benefit from future exercises. The final approved list has already been transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation.

Tinubu, while acknowledging feedback from the public, reaffirmed his commitment to judicial reform and improving the administration of justice in Nigeria.

Documents obtained from the Presidency show that individuals convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and armed robbery were removed from the new list, while only a few non-violent or historic cases were retained.

Among those removed was Maryam Sanda, whose sentence has now been converted to 12 years’ imprisonment. The number of full pardons was reduced from 82 to 15, including four corruption-related cases — Anastasia Nwaobia, Hussaini Umar, Ayinla Alanamu, and Farouk Lawan — and several symbolic posthumous pardons, including Herbert Macaulay, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine activists executed in 1995.

In total, 55 individuals were removed entirely from the list, including some convicted of cocaine trafficking and financial fraud.

Fifteen inmates were granted clemency on grounds of good behaviour, remorse, and rehabilitation. Their names include Oroka Michael Chibueze, Adesanya Olufemi Paul, Daniel Bodunwa, Hamza Abubakar, Buhari Sani, Mohammed Musa, Muharazu Abubakar, Ibrahim Yusuf, Saad Ahmed Madaki, Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa, Richard Ayuba, Adam Abubakar, Emmanuel Yusuf, Chinedu Stanley, and Johnny Ntheru Udor.

Four death-row inmates — Emmanuel Baba, Abubakar Usman, Khalifa Umar, and Mohammed Umar — had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment for showing good behaviour and remorse.

Others who benefited from reduced sentences included Yusuf Owolabi, Ifeanyi Eze, and Malam Ibrahim Sulaiman, all convicted of serious offences but found to have demonstrated rehabilitation through education and vocational skills. Several others convicted for drug-related and economic crimes also had their sentences shortened on similar grounds.

Meanwhile, 39 individuals convicted of illegal mining received sentence reductions after community leaders, including Senator Ikran Bilbis, pledged to support their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Opposition Parties React

Reacting to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party accused the President of inconsistency and promoting impunity by favouring individuals with questionable pasts while neglecting more deserving Nigerians.

The party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said the frequent policy reversals reflected confusion within the administration, describing the back-and-forth over the list as “embarrassing and disorganised.”

He added that while ordinary Nigerians struggled under insecurity and economic hardship, the government appeared more focused on rehabilitating convicted criminals.

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) also criticised the move, saying it viewed the pardon of the Ogoni Nine as a political ploy linked to plans for oil resumption in Ogoniland. MOSOP spokesman Imeabe Saviour said the Ogoni people were “not interested in any symbolic pardon” and demanded the release of $300 million allegedly owed to the community by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.

The group also insisted that no discussion on oil resumption should occur until the Ogoni Clean-Up Project was fully funded and completed and a Bori State created.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the controversy as “an act of shame,” accusing the government of lacking foresight and moral consistency. In a statement by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the administration “reacts rather than leads” and only reversed the pardons after Nigerians protested.

He demanded that the Presidency publish the full list of those initially approved for clemency, describing the entire episode as “damage control, too little, too late.”

The Labour Party, however, commended the President for listening to public opinion, saying it demonstrated responsiveness to citizens’ concerns. Its interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, urged the government to extend the same sensitivity to policies affecting the economy and the cost of living.

In contrast, the New Nigeria Peoples Party criticised the administration’s inconsistency, with its spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, describing the process as “chaotic and embarrassing.”