By Abdul Lauya
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a revised presidential pardon for 34 convicted persons but excluded Maryam Sanda, the woman sentenced for killing her husband, following widespread public backlash over her earlier inclusion.
The President, according to a State House statement on Tuesday, signed the formal instruments of clemency and pardon after consultations with the Council of State and key justice sector stakeholders.
The statement, signed by Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu ordered a comprehensive review of the earlier approved list in response to “constructive feedback” from the public and legal experts.
As a result, individuals convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal arms possession were removed from the list, while a few others had their sentences commuted.
Maryam Sanda’s name was conspicuously missing from the new 34-man pardon list transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service, signaling Tinubu’s decision to yield to public sentiment and moral considerations.
The revised clemency exercise, according to the Presidency, comprised 15 persons granted full pardon, among them nationalist icon Herbert Macaulay and the late military officer Major General Mamman Vatsa, 15 others granted clemency, and four death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
Her initial inclusion in the clemency proposal had triggered outrage across the country, with rights activists, victims’ advocates, and media outlets, including Eye Reporters, criticizing the move as insensitive and damaging to the credibility of the justice system.
The presidency’s decision to exclude her, analysts say, reflects Tinubu’s effort to balance compassion with accountability and to demonstrate responsiveness to the collective conscience of Nigerians.
Tinubu, in the statement, emphasized that the review was guided by the principle of justice as a “three-way traffic”, for the accused, the victim, and society at large, adding that the decision also took into account security concerns and the morale of law enforcement agencies.
In a move aimed at institutional reform, the President directed that the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy be relocated from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Ministry of Justice.
He also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation to develop new guidelines for future pardon exercises, making consultations with relevant prosecuting agencies mandatory before recommendations are submitted to the President.
The presidency thanked Nigerians for their engagement on the issue and reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to justice reform, fairness, and the responsible exercise of executive discretion.
Eye Reporters view the development as a calculated attempt by Tinubu to reassure Nigerians that presidential mercy will not come at the expense of justice or the moral expectations of the public.
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