The Council of State on Thursday approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across various categories.
The decision followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
The approval came during the Council of State meeting held at the State House, Abuja, and chaired by President Tinubu.
Although the full list of beneficiaries is yet to be made public, sources confirmed that posthumous pardons were granted to Nigeria’s founding father, Herbert Macaulay, and former Federal Capital Territory Minister under the Babangida regime, Major General Mamman Vatsa (retd.). Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four are also said to be among those pardoned.
A top source at the meeting revealed, “Herbert Macaulay and Vatsa are among the two major ones on that list.”
Herbert Macaulay, widely regarded as the Father of Nigerian Nationalism, was twice convicted by the British colonial authorities. In 1913, while working as a private surveyor, he was charged with misappropriation of funds from an estate he managed—a prosecution historians have long debated for its fairness.
In 1928, Macaulay’s Lagos Daily News published a controversial report during the Eleko of Lagos agitation, leading to his conviction for sedition in the infamous “Gunpowder Plot” case. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.
Major General Mamman Vatsa, a respected poet and member of the Supreme Military Council, served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory before his execution by firing squad on March 5, 1986. He was convicted by a secret military tribunal for alleged involvement in a coup against then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida—his childhood friend. The case has remained one of Nigeria’s most controversial trials, with long-standing calls for a posthumous pardon.
Breakdown of the Clemency List
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, disclosed that the 175 beneficiaries fall into various categories:
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82 inmates were granted full presidential pardons.
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65 inmates had their sentences reduced.
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7 death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
According to Sani, “The decision underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to justice, compassion, and correctional reform in Nigeria.”
Other Approvals
The Council also ratified key national appointments. Dr. Aminu Yusuf from Niger State was confirmed as Chairman of the National Population Commission, while Tonge Bularafa was approved as Federal Commissioner representing Yobe State in the Commission. Both appointments received unanimous endorsement from Council members.
