By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
President Bola Tinubu has granted posthumous pardons to historical figures including Major General Mamman Vatsa and nationalist Herbert Macaulay, while also approving clemency for 82 current inmates.
The pardons were approved on Thursday following a recommendation from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), which was endorsed by the National Council of State.
Among the most notable beneficiaries are Major General Mamman Vatsa, executed in 1986 for a treason plot, and Herbert Macaulay, a founding father of Nigerian nationalism who was convicted by British colonial authorities in 1913.
The President also formally pardoned the “Ogoni Nine,” including activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were executed in 1995.
For the living, the President commuted the death sentences of seven inmates to life imprisonment and reduced the prison terms of 65 others. A total of 82 inmates were granted clemency.
Notable individuals receiving pardons include former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan and three others, allowing them to fully reintegrate into society.
The 12-member committee, chaired by the Attorney General, reviewed 294 cases, interviewing 175 inmates and considering 62 applications before making its final recommendations.