Amanze Chinonye
President Tinubu has granted a posthumous pardon to the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory executed in 1986 under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, after being accused of involvement in a coup plot.
Vatsa, a respected soldier, poet, and close associate of Babangida, was among 175 convicts and former convicts who benefited from the President’s exercise of mercy announced on Thursday following a presentation by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi (SAN), who chairs the committee, said President Tinubu approved the clemency for convicts and ex-convicts based on factors such as remorse, good conduct, advanced age, ill health, and participation in rehabilitation or educational programmes like the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
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The list of beneficiaries included individuals convicted of various offences ranging from illegal mining and white-collar crimes to drug-related offences and even foreigners. Among those granted mercy were Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and members of the Ogoni Eight.
Out of the total, two inmates and 15 former convicts 11 of them deceased were fully pardoned. Eighty-two inmates received clemency, while 65 others had their sentences commuted. Seven prisoners on death row also had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment.
Prince Fagbemi presented the recommendations of the committee at the Council of State meeting chaired by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The posthumous pardon for Major General Mamman Vatsa is seen as one of the most symbolic gestures of reconciliation in Nigeria’s recent history, revisiting one of the most controversial executions of the Babangida era.
Analysts say the decision underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to justice reform and national healing, offering closure to long-standing historical grievances while promoting a humane approach to criminal justice administration.
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