President Bola Tinubu’s decision to extend state pardon and clemency to nearly 50 convicted drug offenders has triggered public criticism, with many warning that the move undermines Nigeria’s ongoing fight against illicit drugs.
The beneficiaries are part of a total of 175 inmates recently approved for clemency by the Council of State. They were convicted for crimes ranging from drug trafficking and possession to illegal importation of substances such as cocaine, heroin, tramadol, cannabis, and Indian hemp.
Presidency defends decision
According to the Presidency, the release followed the advice of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, which based its recommendations on good conduct, remorse, and the acquisition of vocational skills while in custody.
Some offenders were granted full pardons, while others, including individuals convicted of kidnapping and murder, had their sentences reduced. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the list also included “illegal miners, white-collar convicts, remorseful drug offenders, foreigners…”
“President Tinubu granted clemency to most of them based on reports that they had shown remorse and good conduct,” Onanuga explained, adding that some were forgiven due to old age or participation in educational programmes such as the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Further analysis revealed that about 29 per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related offences, a figure critics say casts doubt on the government’s anti-narcotics commitment.