President Bola Tinubu has reduced sentence meted on some inmates following the conclusion of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise.
This was contained in a statement by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, which confirmed that the review process, initiated by the President after consultations with the Council of State, has been completed.
According to a statement, the President ordered a thorough review of the initial list of recommended beneficiaries to ensure that only those who met all stipulated legal and procedural requirements were included.
Fagbemi in the statement also noted that during the final review, a few individuals earlier recommended were found not to have satisfied the required criteria and were accordingly delisted.
Among the beneficiaries is the 37-years-old Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for culpable homicide, already spent six years and eight months at Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre and was initially reported to have been pardoned by President Tinubu, is now to serve 12 years based on compassionate grounds, in the best interest of her children and good conduct.
According to the Attorney-General, the exercise reflects the President’s effort to balance justice with mercy, noting that the process was conducted with strict adherence to due process and in line with international standards for humane correctional practices.
However, in a move aimed at strengthening the process for future exercises, the President has directed the immediate relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He also instructed the Attorney-General to issue new Guidelines for the Exercise of the Power of Prerogative of Mercy, which will make consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies compulsory before any recommendation is made.
Section 175 of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the President to grant clemency, after consulting the Council of State and receiving advice from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, PACPM, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
