In a major update from the Presidency, a fresh list of 34 Nigerians granted clemency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been officially released — and notably missing from the list is Maryam Sanda, who was earlier rumored to be among those considered for presidential pardon.
According to a report by Daily Post Nigeria, the new list includes 15 individuals granted full pardon, 4 whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, and 15 others who received clemency under the President’s constitutional prerogative of mercy.
Those Granted Presidential Pardon Include:
- Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia
- Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar
- Ayinla Saadu Alanamu
- Hon. Farouk M. Lawan
- Herbert Macaulay
- Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa
- Ken Saro Wiwa
- Saturday Dobee
- Nordu Eawo
- Daniel Gbooko
- Paul Levera
- Felix Nuale
- Baribor Bera
- Barinem Kiobel
- John Kpuine
From Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment:
- Emmanuel Baba
- Abubakar Usman
- Khalifa Umar
- Mohammed Umar
Granted Clemency:
- Oroka Michael Chibueze
- Adesanya Olufemi Paul
- Daniel Bodunwa
- Hamza Abubakar
- Buhari Sani
- Mohammed Musa
- Muharazu Abubakar
- Ibrahim Yusuf
- Saad Ahmed Madaki
- Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa
- Richard Ayuba
- Adam Abubakar
- Emmanuel Yusuf
- Chinedu Stanley
- Johnny Ntheru Udor
While the Presidency did not explain why Maryam Sanda was excluded from the latest list, sources close to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) suggest her case is still being reviewed.
Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has been serving a life sentence at the Kuje Correctional Centre. Reports earlier in the week claimed she was among those penciled down for clemency before her name was later removed from the final list.
The new pardon list, which includes historical figures such as Ken Saro-Wiwa and Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, is seen as part of President Tinubu’s effort to foster national reconciliation, promote justice reform, and extend mercy to deserving Nigerians.
Public Reactions
The exclusion of Maryam Sanda has sparked mixed reactions across social media. While some Nigerians praised the government for not pardoning a convicted murderer, others questioned the inclusion of late activists and soldiers executed decades ago, calling it symbolic but unnecessary.
Legal analysts also noted that the decision reflects the President’s cautious approach in exercising clemency powers amid ongoing debates on criminal justice reform and public morality.
