The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has yet been released under the recently announced Presidential Prerogative of Mercy approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the process is still undergoing final administrative and legal review.
The clarification was issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in a statement on Thursday, following public inquiries about the status of those listed for clemency.
President Tinubu had earlier approved the pardon of 175 Nigerians, including notable figures such as the late nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay, environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the late Major-General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over an alleged coup plot.
Others on the list include Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, alongside several inmates whose sentences were either commuted or reduced on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
However, Fagbemi emphasized that the release process is still at the final administrative stage, involving a thorough verification exercise to ensure that all beneficiaries meet the required legal and procedural standards.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy has been released from custody,” he stated.
He explained that although the Council of State had approved the recommendations, the final phase required comprehensive legal scrutiny before formal release instruments could be issued to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“The process remains at the final administrative stage, which includes a standard review to ensure that all names and recommendations fully comply with established legal and procedural requirements before any instrument of release is issued,” Fagbemi added.
The Minister dismissed speculations about delays, noting that the government was committed to transparency, due process, and the rule of law.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,” he said, assuring that the public would be duly informed once the final legal and administrative clearances are completed.
“As soon as all legal and procedural checks are concluded, the public will be duly informed. The rule of law does not rush; it ensures fairness,” he added.
The Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, according to Fagbemi, is part of President Tinubu’s broader justice reform agenda aimed at promoting national reconciliation, fairness, and prison decongestion across the country.
