The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has been released under the recently announced Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise, stating that the process is still undergoing final administrative review.
Earlier reports indicated that President Bola Tinubu had granted a pardon to Sir Herbert Macaulay and 174 others, following the Council of State’s approval. Among those named in the list are Ken Saro-Wiwa, the late environmental activist, and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over an alleged coup plot.
Also listed are Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, and several other inmates whose sentences were either commuted, reduced, or reviewed upon recommendation by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
However, in a statement released on Thursday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), clarified that none of the approved beneficiaries has been released. He explained that the exercise is currently at the verification and review stage, pending the issuance of formal instruments of release.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice 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,”
the statement read in part.
Fagbemi further noted that although the Council of State had endorsed the recommendations, the final stage involves a comprehensive legal and procedural review to ensure full compliance before any release orders are issued.
He emphasized that the issuance of the instrument of implementation marks the final phase of the process, after which the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service will be authorized to carry out the releases.
According to him, the review phase forms part of standard protocol and reflects the government’s commitment to transparency, due diligence, and the rule of law.
The minister also commended the public for its interest in the process, describing such scrutiny as a sign of civic engagement and commitment to justice.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to the letter to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,”
he stated.
Fagbemi assured Nigerians that the public would be duly informed once all legal and procedural checks 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.
