By our reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent decision to grant clemency to a wide range of convicted criminals, including drug traffickers, kidnappers, illegal miners, and foreign nationals, has triggered sharp criticism and renewed public debate over Nigeria’s criminal justice and anti-narcotics systems.
According to a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, some individuals were granted full pardons, while others had their sentences commuted or significantly reduced. Among the beneficiaries are individuals convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, murder, drug trafficking, illegal mining, and financial fraud. The list also includes foreigners and so-called remorseful drug offenders.
The president acted based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, Onanuga said. These are people who have shown remorse and met the conditions for clemency.
The development, however, has sparked outrage among civil society groups, anti-drug campaigners, and members of the public, who argue that the mass clemency undermines the rule of law and Nigeria’s fight against crime, particularly narcotics and corruption.
Critics have questioned the timing of the announcement, which coincided with Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day celebrations. Many believe the gesture was poorly timed, especially at a moment when the country is battling rising insecurity and a worsening drug abuse crisis among young people.
This is a slap in the face of justice, said Chinedu Ogah, a human rights lawyer. You cannot be telling Nigerians to obey the law while releasing convicted drug dealers and murderers under the guise of mercy.
Observers have also raised concerns about transparency, with little public information about the identities of those pardoned, the criteria used for selection, or whether victims’ families were consulted during the process.
The Nigerian Correctional Service has yet to release a full list of names or a timeline for the release of the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, some argue that presidential pardon, while legal under the constitution, must be applied with greater caution and moral responsibility, especially in cases involving violent crimes or actions that threaten national stability.
As the debate continues, the presidency has defended the decision as a humanitarian gesture intended to decongest Nigeria’s overcrowded prisons and give reformed individuals a second chance.
Nonetheless, the controversy highlights growing public frustration over what many see as double standards in the justice system, where powerful or connected individuals often receive leniency while ordinary citizens face the full force of the law.
