The Federal Government (FG) has clarified that no inmate has been released under the recent Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise, stressing that the process is still undergoing final administrative review.
Reports by PUNCH Online suggested that President Bola Tinubu had granted pardons to Sir Herbert Macaulay and 174 others, following approval by the Council of State. Among the names reportedly included were notable figures such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, the environmental activist, and Major General Mamman Vatsa, executed in 1986 for alleged coup plotting.
The pardon list also reportedly featured Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, alongside other inmates whose sentences were commuted or reduced, and ex-convicts deemed eligible by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
However, in a statement on Thursday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), clarified that the exercise is still at the stage of verifying and reviewing the list of beneficiariesbefore formal instruments of release are issued.
Fagbemi explained that although the Council of State had approved recommendations for clemency, the final stagerequires a detailed review to ensure all names comply with legal and procedural standards.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy has been released from custody,” the statement read.
He further emphasized that the issuance of the instrument of implementation marks the last phase of the process, after which the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service will be authorized to act.
According to Fagbemi, the review phase is part of standard protocol and reflects the government’s commitment to transparency, due diligence, and the rule of law.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to the letter to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,” he added.
The minister assured that the public will be informed promptly once all legal and procedural checks are completed, highlighting that the rule of law ensures fairness.
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Reporting by Yetunde Kolawale in Lagos, Nigeria.
