President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has drastically reduced the number of convicts approved for presidential pardon, cutting the original list from 175 to just 34, following widespread public criticism over the inclusion of individuals convicted of serious offences.
The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who confirmed that Tinubu formally exercised his constitutional power of prerogative of mercy by signing the instruments of release for the revised list of beneficiaries.
According to Onanuga, the President’s decision followed consultations with the Council of State and careful consideration of public feedback. The review was carried out under the discretionary powers granted by Section 175(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“Consequently, certain persons convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, unlawful possession of firearms/arms dealing, etc., were deleted from the list. Others who had been hitherto pardoned in the old list had their sentences commuted,” the statement read.
The development comes after reports of public outrage over the initial list, which was said to include inmates convicted of violent and high-profile crimes. Critics had argued that such inclusions undermined public trust in the justice system and contradicted the government’s stated commitment to law and order.
The revised list, according to the Presidency, focuses on inmates with compelling humanitarian grounds such as old age, ill health, and exceptional cases deserving of leniency.
Tinubu’s latest move marks a recalibration of the government’s mercy policy, reflecting a more measured approach to balancing justice with compassion amid heightened scrutiny from civil society and the general public.
