Presidential pardons undermine rule of law, says Amnesty

International human rights organisation, Amnesty International Nigeria, has faulted the pardons granted by President Bola Tinubu to 175 individuals, noting that granting clemency to persons convicted of human rights crimes prevents reparations of victims.

Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, in a statement on Tuesday, said the association was “deeply concerned” by the pardons granted by President Tinubu, noting that the way the exercise was carried out seemed to prioritise the perpetrators, rather than access to justice and effective remedies for victims and their families.

“We are deeply concerned by the clemency and pardons granted by the government of President Bola Tinubu to some persons convicted of human rights crimes, as the pardons for these crimes prevent reparations for victims.

“The way and manner Nigerian authorities carried out the exercise seemed to prioritise the perpetrators instead of access to justice and effective remedies for the victims and their families,” the statement partly read.

report that Tinubu had on Friday, October 10th, 2025, granted pardons to 175 convicted persons, including Herbert Macaulay, Ken Saro Wiwa, former Minister of the FCT in the Babangida regime, Major-General Mamman Vatsa (retd), among others.

However, controversy trailed the release of the full list of persons who received the presidential prerogative of mercy, after it was discovered that the list also included the names of convicted drug offenders, and several others jailed for various crimes, including Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Amnesty argued that the government’s actions had the potential to undermine the rule of law, prevent the emergence of truth, and entrench impunity for human rights crimes.

Sanusi, therefore, called on the President to reconsider the pardons for those who were convicted of human rights crimes and ensure the rights of victims and their families.

“The actions of the government have the potential of undermining the rule of law, preventing the emergence of the truth, the determination of guilt or innocence by a court and reparations for victims, as well as entrenching impunity for human rights crimes.

“President Bola Tinubu should reconsider his government’s pardons for those convicted of human rights crimes and uphold and ensure the rights of the victims and their families,” he stated.