President Bola Tinubu’s South-East spokesman, Josef Onoh, has strongly condemned the recent presidential pardons granted to 175 convicts, describing the move as a “moral travesty and a rape of justice.”
The President, through the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, approved clemency for a mix of offenders including drug convicts, foreigners, and capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.
Onoh argued that releasing such offenders under the guise of mercy “undermines the rule of law” and damages Nigeria’s global image. He warned that granting clemency to high-profile convicts like Sanda and drug traffickers Nweke Francis Chibueze and Isaac Justina represents “a profound ethical rupture” that could weaken justice institutions and demoralise law enforcement agencies.
“This act, though constitutional, violates moral imperatives of justice and erodes public confidence,” Onoh stated. “It inflicts trauma on victims’ families and signals moral abdication at the highest level of governance.”
He noted that pardoning drug offenders sends a dangerous message to society, particularly to Nigerian youth, 70 per cent of whom are under 35. Citing UN data showing a 14.4% drug use prevalence in Nigeria, Onoh warned that such actions could normalise crime and further weaken anti-drug campaigns championed by the NDLEA.
“This decision portrays Nigeria as a haven for impunity and discourages investors already wary of our corruption perception,” he added, referencing Transparency International’s 2024 score of 25/100.
Onoh further said the clemency could strain Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility with global partners like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has previously praised the country’s anti-narcotics strides.
He appealed directly to President Tinubu to reverse the pardons, arguing that doing so would “restore public trust, honour the sacrifices of law enforcement, and uphold Nigeria’s commitment to justice.”
“Mr President, we are your eyes and ears in the streets. Nigerians are crying out against this injustice. Reversing these pardons isn’t just a correction, it’s a moral necessity,” he declared.
Onoh concluded that such a reversal would reaffirm Nigeria’s status as a nation guided by fairness, accountability, and respect for human life.
