President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday, October 9 2025, extended mercy to 175 convicts and former convicts, granting pardons, commutations, and clemency in one of the most sweeping acts of presidential prerogative in recent years.
Naijaonpoint understands that this move is based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, which emphasises themes of remorse, good conduct, rehabilitation through vocational skills or education (such as enrollment in the National Open University of Nigeria), old age, and the correction of historical injustices.
The beneficiaries include living inmates, former convicts who have served their terms, posthumous cases, and even foreigners, spanning a wide range of offences from drug trafficking to colonial-era convictions.
This report analyses the data through a statistical lens, focusing on crime patterns, the nature of offences, and the volume of individuals granted mercy per category. The analysis reveals dominant trends in drug-related crimes and illegal mining, which together account for over half of the cases, highlighting ongoing societal challenges in Nigeria, such as narcotics proliferation and unregulated resource extraction.
Overall Statistical Overview – Total Beneficiaries: 175
Breakdown by Mercy Type
- Full Pardons: 17 (including 6 living, 11 posthumous)
- Clemency (e.g., release or forgiveness for current inmates): 82
- Sentence Reductions: 65
- Death Sentences Commuted to Life Imprisonment: 7
- Posthumous Cases: 11 (integrated into pardons, addressing historical injustices like colonial bans and military-era executions)
Breakdown By Nature of Crime
| Crime Category | Volume | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Drug-Related (e.g., possession, selling, importing cannabis, cocaine, heroin, tramadol) | 52 | 29.7 |
| Illegal Mining (unlawful mining activities) | 41 | 23.4 |
| Homicide-Related (murder, culpable homicide, manslaughter) | 26 | 14.9 |
| Fraud/Corruption (bribery, false pretence, 419 scams, misappropriation, breach of trust) | 22 | 12.6 |
| Vessel Hijacking (conspiracy to hijack fishing vessels) | 10 | 5.7 |
| Arms-Related (illegal possession/dealing in firearms, removing weapons) | 5 | 2.9 |
| Kidnapping | 3 | 1.7 |
| Human Trafficking | 3 | 1.7 |
| Robbery/Armed Robbery | 3 | 1.7 |
| Treason/Coup Plot | 2 | 1.1 |
| Pipeline Vandalism | 1 | 0.6 |
| Other (e.g., theft, forgery, fake products) | 10 | 5.7 |
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