 |
| Lateef Fagbemi. |
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Wednesday, explained the reason behind President Bola Tinubu’s decision to revise the earlier list of 175 convicts initially recommended for presidential pardon.
He stated that the review was conducted to ensure that only individuals who fulfilled the required legal and procedural standards benefited from the presidential prerogative of mercy.
According to the Attorney General, the process has been concluded, and the President has approved the final list of beneficiaries.
“During this final review, few persons earlier recommended were found not to have met the necessary requirements and were accordingly delisted, while in some other cases, sentences were reviewed and reduced to reflect fairness, justice, and the spirit of the exercise,” Fagbemi explained in a statement he personally signed and released to journalists.
A copy of the final list, obtained by the press, revealed that among the 86 convicts whose sentences were reduced by President Tinubu was Maryam Sanda, daughter-in-law of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had been sentenced to death for culpable homicide.
An Abuja High Court had, on January 27, 2020, sentenced Sanda to death by hanging after finding her guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, to death at their Abuja home in 2017.
Although she has been incarcerated at Suleja Prison for six years and eight months, her sentence has been reduced to 12 years “based on compassionate grounds, in the best interest of the children, good conduct, embraced a new lifestyle, model to prisoners and remorsefulness.”
Also on the list was one Chukwukelu Sunday Calistus, whose life sentence for drug-related offences was commuted to 20 years after serving 11 years in prison.
Similarly, Yusuf Owolabi, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 for manslaughter, had his punishment reduced to 15 years after serving 10 years, while Ifeanyi Eze, convicted of the same offence, also had his sentence cut to 15 years after four years in custody.
Another beneficiary, Mallam Ibrahim Sulaiman, who had been serving a life sentence for armed robbery and possession of illegal firearms, had his term reduced to 15 years after completing two years in prison.
Among the other beneficiaries was Samson Ajayi, sentenced to 15 years in 2022, whose sentence was reduced to 10 years. Likewise, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, who had been serving a 30-year jail term for culpable homicide, now has his sentence reduced to 20 years after seven years served.
One Nnamdi Anene, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for illegal arms dealing, was also granted clemency, with his term reduced to 20 years.
Other inmates on the list were convicted of lesser offences such as unlawful mining, conspiracy to hijack a fishing vessel, forgery, obtaining by false pretence, possession of cannabis, fraud, and criminal breach of trust.
According to the report, the beneficiaries had shown remorse, maintained good behaviour, and participated in vocational or educational programmes during their incarceration.
In three additional lists released by the Federal Government, 15 individuals were granted clemency, another 15 — including Saro Wiwa and Herbert Macaulay — were pardoned, while four death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
Announcing the conclusion of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise, the AGF said the review reflected President Tinubu’s intention “to balance justice with compassion and the belief that justice must not only punish, but also reform and redeem.”
He added: “The review was undertaken with meticulous commitment to due process to reinforce the administration’s broader commitment to justice reform and humane correctional practices in line with international standards.
“To ensure that future exercises meet public expectations and best practices, the President has directed the immediate relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“The President has further directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to issue appropriate Guidelines for the Exercise of the Power of Prerogative of Mercy, which includes compulsory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies.
“This will ensure that only persons who fully meet the stipulated legal and procedural requirements will henceforth benefit from the issuance of instruments of release.
“I commend the public for their patience and constructive engagement throughout the process, and assure Nigerians that the government remains steadfast in promoting a justice system that upholds human dignity while safeguarding national security and social order,” the AGF concluded.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!