Thirty-one years after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, the people of Ogoniland have renewed their call for justice and the recovery of the remains of the Ogoni Four — Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, Samuel Orage, and Albert Badey. The Gokana Unity Forum and families of the victims urged the government to retrieve the corpses for a dignified burial, saying it is key to true reconciliation. Former Minister Kenneth Kobani, son of one of the victims, emphasized forgiveness but insisted that peace must be built on truth and justice. The youth also called for full implementation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights and an end to political marginalisation in Rivers State.

"Presidential pardon still under review, no inmate released yet" – FG reveals.

The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has been released under the recently approved Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, explaining that the process is still undergoing final administrative review.

The clarification follows reports of President Bola Tinubu’s approval of 175 beneficiaries recommended by the Council of State, including the late Sir Herbert Macaulay, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Major General Mamman Vatsa. The list also reportedly features Maryam Sanda—sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband and several others whose sentences were commuted or reduced based on the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

In a statement on Thursday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said no inmate has been freed yet, as the clemency process remains at its final administrative stage.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s prerogative of mercy has been released,” Fagbemi said. “The process is still undergoing standard review to ensure all names and recommendations fully comply with legal and procedural requirements before any release order is issued.”

He explained that once verification is completed, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service will receive formal authorisation to implement the releases.

Fagbemi emphasised that the review stage underscores the government’s commitment to due process, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law. He also welcomed public interest in the matter, describing it as a healthy sign of Nigeria’s growing democratic accountability.

“There is no delay in the process,” he assured. “It is simply following the law to ensure only duly qualified individuals benefit from the President’s mercy.”

He further pledged that updates would be provided once all verifications are concluded, adding: “The rule of law does not rush; it ensures fairness.”

Presidential Clemency: Tinubu Pardoned 70 Drug Lords – Dino Melaye Alleges.

According to get a report by Daily Post, former Kogi senator, Dino Melaye, has alleged thar President Bola Tinubu of included about 70 convicted drug offenders among the 175 persons recently granted presidential clemency.

The allegation, shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, has sparked controversy over the nature and scope of the president’s latest pardon exercise.

Melaye described the action as “unprecedented in history,” insisting that no administration in the world had ever pardoned such a large number of convicted drug traffickers. “Pardon granted 70 drug lords by President Tinubu is unprecedented in history. My advice to the President is to scrap the NDLEA. His action has made a beautiful nonsensical of all the efforts of the agency since inception,” he wrote.

President Tinubu recently approved the release or posthumous pardon of 175 individuals as part of his administration’s effort to promote reconciliation and decongest correctional facilities.

The list included prominent names such as the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, nationalist Herbert Macaulay, and former military officer Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed for treason in 1986. Also listed was Maryam Sanda, who had been sentenced to death for killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello.

The presidency framed the gesture as part of broader national healing, aimed at righting perceived historical wrongs and showing compassion. But critics say the clemency exercise lacked transparency and may have rewarded people convicted of serious crimes.

Melaye’s claim that dozens of drug traffickers were among those pardoned has heightened public concern. The former federal lawmaker did not name the allegedly pardoned drug Lords and the claim has not been verified.

Notwithstanding, following the allegations, some Nigerians warn that such a move could demoralize anti-narcotics agencies. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been praised internationally in recent years for its intensified war on drug cartels, with several high-profile convictions recorded.

Falana vows legal action against oil companies over Niger Delta pollution.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has vowed to convene a team of lawyers to begin a legal action against oil companies that have polluted and abandoned their host communities in the Niger Delta.

The human rights lawyer made this vow on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, during the Ken Saro-Wiwa 30th Memorial Lecture, organised by a coalition of environmental civil society leaders

According to him, communities producing the oil that sustains Nigeria’s economy deserve to live comfortably with all basic amenities provided, not in poverty and neglect.

The event, put together by a coalition of environmental activists, was held in honour of the 84th posthumous birthday of late environmental and human-rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed alongside eight others 30 years ago for alleged treasonable felony and recently granted state pardon and honours.

The event also drew activists, policymakers and community leaders who renewed calls for environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

The senior lawyer explained that multinational oil companies have profited from Nigeria’s natural resources while leaving host communities in the Niger Delta impoverished and devastated.

Other speakers at the memorial, including Nnimmo Bassey, urged government agencies to hold defaulting oil firms accountable and prioritise a full cleanup of Ogoniland.

For civil society groups, the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa remains a rallying point for justice and environmental restoration across the Niger Delta.

They warned that anything short of calling for a halt to oil resumption talks in Ogoniland without extensive cleanup, would amount to wasting the sacrifice of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades.

Tinubu grants mass clemency to 175 Nigerians including Herbert Macaulay , Mamman Vatsa, Ogoni Nine, and Farouk Lawan.

President Bola Tinubu extends historic pardons to national icons, ex-lawmakers, and long-serving inmates — sparking debate over justice, mercy, and selective forgiveness.

In a landmark exercise of presidential clemency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the pardon of 175 Nigerians, including posthumous exonerations for Herbert Macaulay, Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine, alongside amnesty for several living convicts such as former lawmaker Farouk Lawan.

The decision, endorsed by the National Council of State in Abuja, was made public through a State House statement issued on Wednesday by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga.

Among the pardoned historical figures, Herbert Macaulay—Nigeria’s founding nationalist and co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC)—was posthumously cleared of his 1913 colonial conviction, which barred him from public service. Mamman Vatsa, a poet and general executed in 1986 for alleged treason, also received a symbolic national pardon nearly four decades later.
Equally significant is the posthumous pardon of the Ogoni Nine, led by environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, whose 1995 execution by the military regime sparked global outrage. Their rehabilitation comes with national honours awarded to four other Ogoni elders for their advocacy and sacrifice.

The list of pardoned individuals includes:
Farouk Lawan, convicted for bribery while chairing the House fuel subsidy probe,
Nweke Francis Chibueze, a convicted drug trafficker,
Dr. Nwogu Peters, jailed for fraud,
Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barr. Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu, among others.
According to the PACPM’s report, 175 beneficiaries met the criteria of old age, ill health, good conduct, rehabilitation, or remorse during long-term imprisonment.

However, the decision has ignited public debate. Activist Omoyele Sowore criticized the clemency list, accusing President Tinubu of “forgiving political criminals while keeping Mazi Nnamdi Kanu behind bars despite court rulings in his favour.”
Sowore wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“Criminals and political thieves are forgiven, celebrated, and rehabilitated, while a man demanding self-determination remains unjustly detained.”
The presidency, however, insists the move aligns with Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to mercy, justice reform, and national healing.

Tinubu Grants Historic Pardons to Herbert Macaulay, Mamman Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine — 82 Inmates Freed, 65 Others Get Sentence Reduction

In a landmark decision that underscores justice, mercy, and national reconciliation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted posthumous pardons to some of Nigeria’s most significant historical figures — Herbert Macaulay, Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, and the Ogoni Nine, alongside clemency for 82 inmates and sentence reductions for 65 others.

The announcement, made after the National Council of State meeting in Abuja on Thursday, marks a historic gesture of healing and unity.

Herbert Macaulay — revered as a founding father of Nigerian nationalism and co-founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) — was cleared of his 1913 colonial conviction, which had barred him from holding public office. The pardon officially restores his place as a national hero and pioneer of Nigeria’s independence movement.

Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a respected poet and military officer executed in 1986 on treason charges, also received a posthumous pardon, symbolizing national acknowledgment of his service and creative legacy.

Similarly, the Ogoni Nine — including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, and Barinem Kiobel — who were executed in 1995 under controversial circumstances, were formally pardoned. President Tinubu also recommended national honours for the Ogoni Four: Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.

Among the living beneficiaries, notable names such as Farouk Lawan, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barr. Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu received presidential clemency for demonstrating remorse and readiness for reintegration into society.

The pardons were recommended by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, which reviewed 294 cases and interviewed 175 inmates across correctional centers.

The committee considered factors such as old age, terminal illness, good conduct, youthfulness, and rehabilitation efforts in making its recommendations.

This sweeping act of mercy, President Tinubu noted, reflects his administration’s commitment to justice, human rights, and national unity — offering closure for past injustices and second chances for reformed citizens.

I would have rejected Tinubu’s national honour, says Sowore.

Former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has said he would have taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu had it been he was named among those he recently conferred with national honours.

President Tinubu on Thursday conferred late Kudirat Abiola with a posthumous honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, while Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka was named Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.

The President also honoured Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Niger Delta environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other members of the Ogoni Nine.

Others on the list included many who fought against the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha to return Nigeria to democratic rule.

The honours were announced while the President was addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, in celebration of this year’s June 12 Democracy Day.