The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has been released under the recent Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, stating that the process is still undergoing final administrative review.
This clarification follows reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted a presidential pardon to Sir Herbert Macaulay and 174 others after approval by the Council of State. Among the beneficiaries are environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over an alleged coup plot. The list also includes Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, and other inmates whose sentences were commuted or reduced, as well as ex-convicts deemed eligible by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
In a statement on Thursday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), clarified that the process is still at the verification and review stage. He explained that while the Council of State has approved recommendations for clemency, the final phase involves a thorough review to ensure compliance with all legal and procedural standards.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice 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 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 statement read.
Fagbemi added that the issuance of the formal instrument of release marks the concluding phase of the process, after which the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service will be authorised to act. He emphasised that this review is part of standard protocol, reflecting the government’s commitment to transparency, due diligence, and adherence to the rule of law.
The AGF commended the public for its interest and scrutiny of the exercise, describing it as a positive sign of citizens’ commitment to justice and accountability.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to the letter to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,” he said.
Fagbemi assured Nigerians that the public will be duly informed once the review and legal checks are concluded.
“As soon as all legal and procedural checks are completed, the public will be duly informed. The rule of law does not rush; it ensures fairness,” he added.
ADEOLA KUNLE
