The Federal Government has clarified why no inmate pardoned by President Bola Tinubu has been released yet. According to a statement by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the release process remains at the final administrative stage.
This includes a thorough review to ensure all names and recommendations comply fully with legal and procedural requirements before any release instrument is issued. The verification phase follows approval by the Council of State and aims to uphold transparency and adherence to the rule of law.
The government emphasized there is no delay but a committed effort to ensure fairness and proper implementation of the presidential clemency exercise. Public concerns and debates have risen around the pardons, which include persons convicted of various offenses, but the FG reassures that the process continues lawfully and no inmate has yet been freed.
The pardons granted on October 9, 2025, by President Tinubu cover 175 individuals, including some with full pardon, clemency, sentence reductions, and commutations, such as death row inmates whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. High-profile beneficiaries include former political figures and historical figures like Herbert Macaulay, pardoned posthumously. While clemency recipients have been publicly named, the FG is still finalizing all procedural checks before any actual releases.
