BREAKING: Tinubu Makes U-turn, Reviews Pardon List, Excludes Drug, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping Convicts

President Bola Tinubu has directed that individuals convicted of kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the federal government’s prerogative of mercy.

The decision, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, followed Tinubu’s consultations with the Council of State and a review of public opinion on the matter.

“President Tinubu has ordered the exclusion of persons convicted for kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms from the list of beneficiaries under the federal government’s prerogative of mercy,” the statement read in part.

“This decision was reached after due consultations with the Council of State and in response to concerns raised by members of the public.”

The move is understood to be part of a broader effort to strengthen public confidence in the government’s justice system and ensure that acts considered severe threats to national security are not treated with leniency.

The prerogative of mercy, often exercised by the president on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, allows for the pardon or sentence reduction of certain categories of prisoners.

Tinubu’s review comes amid growing public concern over the inclusion of convicts with serious offences in recent state and federal pardon lists, a development that had sparked criticism from rights advocates and legal experts.

Further details on the revised list of beneficiaries are expected to be released in the coming days.