Tinubu grants presidential pardon to Herbert Macaulay, Mamman Vatsa, 174 others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardon to 175 individuals, including Nigeria’s nationalist icon, Herbert Macaulay, and former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Major-General Mamman Vatsa (retd).

The approval followed the recommendations presented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), during the National Council of State meeting held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja.

The recommendations were based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

Sources at the meeting confirmed that, apart from Macaulay and Vatsa, members of the “Ogoni Nine” and “Ogoni Four” were also among the beneficiaries.

“Herbert Macaulay and Vatsa are among the two major names on that list,” a source who attended the meeting disclosed.

Macaulay, widely regarded as the “Father of Nigerian Nationalism,” was twice convicted by British colonial authorities in Lagos. In 1913, he was sentenced for alleged misappropriation of trust funds while working as a private surveyor.

He was again jailed in 1928 for sedition following the publication of a controversial article in his Lagos Daily News during the Eleko of Lagos agitation.

Many historians have questioned the fairness of his convictions.

Major-General Mamman Vatsa, a poet and member of the Supreme Military Council during the Babangida regime, served as Minister of the FCT before his execution on March 5, 1986.

He was convicted by a secret military tribunal for allegedly plotting a coup against then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, his longtime friend.

His trial and execution have remained controversial, with several appeals for a posthumous pardon over the years.

According to the details shared after the Council meeting, 82 inmates received full presidential pardons, 65 had their sentences reduced, and seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, while briefing journalists at the State House, said the decision reflected President Tinubu’s commitment to justice reform and the decongestion of correctional facilities.

“The President approved full pardon for 82 inmates, reduced the sentences of 65 others, and commuted seven death sentences to life imprisonment.

“This underscores his administration’s dedication to fairness, rehabilitation, and correctional reform,” he said.

The meeting, chaired by President Tinubu, also ratified key federal appointments, including Dr. Aminu Yusuf from Niger State as Chairman of the National Population Commission, and Tonge Bularafa as Federal Commissioner representing Yobe State.

Both appointments received unanimous approval from the Council.