Tinubu Grants Posthumous Pardons to Macaulay, Vatsa and Clemency to 82 Inmates

When Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria, signed off on a sweeping clemency decree, the nation’s memory banks went into overdrive. The move, announced on October 9, 2025, gave posthumous presidential pardons to two historic figures – Herbert Macaulay and Mamman Jiya Vatsa – while also commuting sentences for 65 other inmates, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 82.

Historical backdrop: why these names matter

The October 8 meeting of the National Council of State in Abuja wasn’t just a routine cabinet‑level gathering. It was the forum that finally dusted off colonial‑era grievances and a decades‑old military‑court verdict.

Herbert Macaulay, born on November 14, 1864, is widely hailed as Nigeria’s first nationalist. In 1913 the British colonial administration convicted him of “corrupt practices” – a charge historians still argue was fabricated to curb his activism. The stigma lingered on his record until after his death in 1946, effectively barring his descendants from certain civil rights for over a century.

Fast forward to the 1980s: Mamman Jiya Vatsa was a celebrated poet‑officer who rose to Minister of Solid Minerals under General Muhammadu Buhari. Accused of involvement in the 1985 coup attempt against General Ibrahim Babangida, he was tried by a military tribunal and executed on March 5, 1986. Even today, his name evokes the bitter debate over military justice in Nigeria’s early democratic transition.

What the Council approved on October 8

The Council, chaired by President Tinubu and composed of the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice and all 36 State Governors, meets under Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution to advise on matters of national importance. Their October session, held at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, reviewed more than 200 pardon applications submitted through the Ministry of Justice.

According to a press statement released by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, the Council endorsed 17 pardons – four for living individuals and 13 posthumously – and recommended sentence commutations for 65 prisoners who met a set of criteria ranging from genuine remorse to enrollment in the National Open University of Nigeria.

Living beneficiaries and the 65 commutations

Among the four living convicts granted clemency were former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan, activist Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, lawyer Hussaini Umar and community leader Ayinla Saadu Alanamu. Their cases were deemed “suitable for rehabilitation” after years of good conduct and, in some instances, active participation in vocational training.

The 65 sentence reductions were not random. The Presidency outlined four pillars guiding the decision:

• Demonstrated remorse – e.g., Yusuf Owolabi, 36, who had served ten years of a life term for manslaughter at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, saw his term cut to 12 years.
• Acquisition of marketable skills – Ifeanyi Eze, 33, earned a carpentry certification while incarcerated and also benefited from a reduced term.
• Advanced age or ill‑health – several senior inmates over 65 were granted early release on humanitarian grounds.
• Enrollment in higher education – prisoners who enrolled in the National Open University saw both moral and practical incentives to reform.

Human trafficking offenders were also on the list. Ife Yusuf, 37, who had been serving a six‑year term for trafficking since 2019, now faces a trimmed sentence of four years. Patricia Echoe Igninovia, 61, saw her seven‑year term reduced to five.

Reactions across the political spectrum

Critics on social media argued the clemency could be viewed as a political stunt ahead of the 2027 elections. “It looks like a vote‑buying exercise,” one commentator wrote on Twitter. Yet civil‑society groups praised the historic rehabilitation of Macaulay’s record.

Professor Chinua Okonkwo, a legal historian at the University of Lagos, told reporters, “Erasing the colonial conviction of Macaulay isn’t just symbolic; it re‑writes the narrative of resistance that shaped modern Nigeria.” He added that Vatsa’s posthumous pardon might pave the way for a broader reassessment of military tribunals from the 1980s.

Meanwhile, the families of the living beneficiaries expressed relief. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia’s two children were quoted as saying, “We finally have a chance to rebuild our lives without the shadow of a lifelong sentence hanging over us.”

Why this matters for Nigeria’s justice system

Beyond the human stories, the decree signals a possible shift toward restorative justice. The Presidency hinted at a six‑month rollout of a comprehensive prison‑rehabilitation programme that will incorporate vocational training, mental‑health services and partnerships with NGOs.

International observers note that Nigeria joins a growing list of African nations using presidential pardons as tools for reconciliation. South Africa, for instance, issued post‑apartheid pardons to former political prisoners in the early 2000s, a move credited with easing societal tensions.

Still, the legal community warns that pardon powers must be exercised transparently. “If the criteria become opaque, we risk eroding public trust,” said Justice Lola Adeyemi of the Lagos State High Court.

What’s next?

President Tinubu’s office confirmed that a review panel will monitor the reintegration of the clemency recipients, reporting back to the National Council of State in December 2025. The panel will also assess the impact of sentence reductions on prison overcrowding – a chronic issue that the Ministry of Interior says affects over 150,000 inmates nationwide.

For now, the headline “President grants pardons” carries weight far beyond the 82 names on the list. It invites a national conversation about how Nigeria remembers its past and reshapes its future, one clemency at a time.