Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian Council of State on Thursday approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 individuals, marking a significant moment in the country’s justice and historical reconciliation efforts.
The decision, announced during a meeting at the State House in Abuja and chaired by President Bola Tinubu, follows recommendations presented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). The recommendations were based on a report from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Among those granted pardons are prominent historical figures, including one of Nigeria’s founding fathers, Herbert Macaulay, and Major-General Mamman Vatsa (retd), a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during the Babangida regime. Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, who have long been subjects of human rights campaigns, were also included in the list of beneficiaries.
A source present at the meeting revealed: “Herbert Macaulay and Vatsa are the two major ones on that list.”
Macaulay, widely regarded as the “Father of Nigerian Nationalism,” was twice imprisoned by British colonial authorities. In 1913, he was convicted of misappropriation while acting as an estate trustee. In 1928, he was jailed for sedition after his newspaper published controversial claims during the Eleko of Lagos agitation — a case known as the “Gunpowder Plot.”
Maj-Gen. Vatsa, a poet, military officer, and childhood friend of former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, was executed by firing squad in 1986 after a secret tribunal convicted him of plotting a coup — a conviction that has remained highly controversial for decades.
Out of the 175 beneficiaries:
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82 inmates received full presidential pardons
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65 had their sentences reduced
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7 death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, briefed journalists after the meeting, stating:
“The decision underscores the President’s commitment to justice and correctional reform.”
The Council also ratified key federal appointments, including:
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Dr. Aminu Yusuf (Niger State) as Chairman of the National Population Commission
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Tonge Bularafa (Yobe State) as Federal Commissioner representing Yobe in the Commission
Both appointments were unanimously approved.
The presidential mercy initiative aligns with broader calls for restorative justice and prison decongestion, as well as renewed efforts to address long-standing historical grievances in Nigeria’s justice system.
