President Grants Posthumous Pardon to Mamman Vatsa, Herbert Macaulay, and 173 Others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping act of mercy, granting a Presidential Pardon and clemency to a comprehensive total of 175 beneficiaries, following the endorsement of the National Council of State on Thursday. The momentous decision, based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), marks a significant step toward restorative justice and historical reconciliation.

Among the most notable beneficiaries are two historical figures who received a posthumous pardon. The late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, who was controversially convicted by British colonial authorities in 1913, has finally had the stigma of a colonial-era conviction expunged from his record. Similarly, the late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a renowned soldier-poet executed in 1986 over a treason charge, was also formally pardoned nearly four decades after his death.

In another significant act of reconciliation, President Tinubu also formally pardoned the Ogoni Nine, including the late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. The Ogoni Four Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage were also conferred with posthumous national honours.

In the category of living individuals, former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, was among the four ex-convicts granted a full pardon, having demonstrated sufficient remorse to facilitate their full reintegration into society.

The larger portion of the beneficiaries came in the form of clemency and sentence reduction for current inmates. A breakdown of the figures confirmed that 82 inmates were recommended for clemency and subsequent release, 65 had their prison terms reduced, and the death sentences of seven inmates were commuted to life imprisonment.

The Presidential spokesperson confirmed that the PACPM, chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), based its recommendations on strict criteria. These included advanced age (60 years and above), terminal illness, the age of youthful offenders (16 years and below), long-term convicts with good conduct, and demonstrated remorse.

The clemency exercise, which reviewed a total of 294 cases, aims to promote justice, rehabilitation, and human rights, aligning with the administration’s goal of enhancing the justice delivery system.