By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision ...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardons to 175 individuals, including convicted drug traffickers, illegal miners, capital offenders, and public officials found guilty of corruption.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), CISLAC described the mass clemency as “legally questionable, morally wrong, and damaging to Nigeria’s image both locally and internationally.”
Among those reportedly pardoned are controversial figures such as former Delta State Governor James Ibori, convicted in the United Kingdom, and several individuals linked to oil theft, kidnapping, and transnational crimes. CISLAC argued that such persons should never have benefited from a presidential pardon — particularly those convicted outside Nigeria’s jurisdiction.
“You cannot pardon someone convicted by a foreign court when Nigerian jurisdiction wasn’t involved. That is beyond the constitutional powers of the Nigerian president,” the organisation stated.
The group warned that the decision could weaken international cooperation in anti-corruption and narcotics control efforts, noting that Nigeria depends heavily on foreign intelligence and technical support in these areas. It further cautioned that the move might jeopardise ongoing international asset recovery efforts.
“Pardoning individuals convicted for drug trafficking, financial crimes, and other serious offences sends the wrong signal to Nigeria’s international partners and undermines the credibility of our justice system,” CISLAC added.
The organisation expressed concern that the action would demoralise anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA, CCB, and the police, which had expended significant resources and risked lives to prosecute the offenders.
“It’s an insult to the justice system and a slap in the face of the anti-corruption agencies who risked their lives to bring some of these people to justice,” CISLAC said.
The group also decried the contrast between the government’s leniency toward high-profile individuals and the continued neglect of thousands of poor Nigerians languishing in correctional centres without trial, some for over a decade.
“You have people in prison for petty crimes or without trial for 10 to 20 years, but the state extends mercy to those who have caused real damage to the economy and social fabric,” the statement noted.
While the federal government said the pardons were based on good conduct, old age, remorse, and vocational training achievements — including participation in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) — CISLAC insisted that forgiveness should not amount to total exoneration.
“Pardon implies that they never committed a crime. These individuals can now sue if they’re called ex-convicts. That’s dangerous — we are rewriting history and absolving criminals of responsibility,” the group warned.
CISLAC further cautioned that the decision could embolden criminal networks involved in oil theft, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and illegal mining, thereby worsening insecurity.
It urged the federal government to review the presidential pardon process and establish a transparent framework that prioritises non-violent offenders and inmates awaiting trial.
“This is a serious lapse in judgment. Those who advised the president have done the country a disservice. National interest must come before political considerations,” CISLAC concluded.
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