President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of 175 persons under the federal government’s latest Presidential Clemency and Pardon Programme, including Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
The clemency, announced on Friday after the endorsement of the National Council of State, also covered several prominent Nigerians such as the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders executed in 1995, late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, and former military officer Mamman Vatsa, executed in 1986.
A statement from the Presidency said the decision followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), which reviewed hundreds of applications from inmates nationwide.
According to Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Maryam Sanda’s inclusion was based on her “exemplary conduct, remorse, and rehabilitation” during her more than six years in custody, as well as humanitarian considerations for her two young children.
“The President believes in justice that is firm but compassionate. The exercise aims to correct injustices, foster reconciliation, and give deserving inmates a second chance,” Onanuga stated.
Out of the 175 beneficiaries, 82 inmates received full pardons, 65 had their sentences reduced, and seven had death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Fifteen ex-convicts, including some deceased national figures, were granted posthumous pardons.
Public reaction to the exercise has been mixed. While rights groups and community leaders welcomed the pardons as a gesture of national healing, others questioned the inclusion of high-profile offenders such as Sanda, describing it as controversial.
Observers, however, say Tinubu’s action represents one of the broadest clemency moves in recent years—combining symbolic redress for historical injustices with practical steps to decongest correctional facilities across the country.
The Presidency assured that the review process for other deserving cases is ongoing, with more recommendations expected in subsequent phases of the mercy programme.
