Nigerians have lashed out at President Bola Tinubu over his decision to pardon criminals through the exercise of his constitutional power of prerogative of mercy.
Recall that Tinubu had last week pardoned 175 Nigerians convicted for various offences, ranging from drug trafficking to murder, armed robbery and illegal mining, among others, and who are serving various terms in prison, including death sentence.
Ordinarily, the President should be receiving accolades for such an action, but the reverse has been the case.
A report by DailyPost revealed that Nigerians have taken to different mediums to lambast the President for pardoning criminals and corrupt individuals.
Tinubu has been under fire, particularly for extending such pardon to drug traffickers and murderers, who are supposed to serve long terms in prison and have only served barely two years.
The argument in some quarters is that the president’s action would only embolden others who want to peddle drugs illegally into believing that even when they are caught, they will only get a light punishment and eventually pardoned.
There are those who have argued that the president’s action runs contrary to the avowed government’s position against drug trafficking.
Those on this side of the argument believe that the much touted slogan of waging war against drug trafficking is just a veil cast on Nigerians.
Yet, there are others who are worried by how the outside world would perceive Nigeria. They are worried that the international community would see Nigeria as a trading hub and safe haven for drug traffickers.
The likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, civil society organisation and political parties have all spoken out, condemning the President’s action and warning of its dire consequences for the country.
The ADC, in a statement by its interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday said the President’s action undermines the country’s anti-drug efforts and encourages crime, as well as further tarnishes Nigeria’s image in the international community.
It stated that what President Tinubu did amounts to abuse of his prerogative of mercy to grant clemency to persons serving prison terms for drug related offences, especially when most of them have barely served two years.
Describing the pardon as pathetic and an act of immense national disgrace, he noted that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies have taken grave risks to prosecute and secure convictions for drug offenders.
It argued that granting clemency to such convicts was nothing but a mockery of the efforts of gallant officers in the fight against narcotics and illicit drugs.
“According to official media statements, it appears that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria, including drug trafficking, gun running and murderers is to show remorse and learn skills.
“Pardons and clemency are granted for their social utility and to correct perceived miscarriages of justice, and to convicts who have paid their debts to society. But we wonder what Nigeria stands to benefit from this act of clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is still regarded as a major transit point for illicit drugs while we face a serious national pandemic of drug use, especially among our youths. Several reports have it that Nigeria’s drug use stands at an estimated 14.4 percent, almost three times the global average of 5.5 percent.
“For years, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies have risked their lives and limbs to combat this problem, dismantle illicit drug networks, intercept consignments, prosecute offenders and secure convictions.
“The men and women in these agencies have laboured under enormous risk and pressure to protect the public from the scourge of addiction, trafficking and related crimes that carry some of the harshest penalties in Nigerian law, precisely because of their devastating impact on public health, youth development and national security.
“Granting clemency to individuals convicted under such laws, therefore, strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics and makes a mockery of the gallant efforts of officers fighting the battle against narcotics and illicit drugs,” the party said.
On the implication of the president’s action in the international arena, the party also said: “These pardons also send reverberations beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“They undercut our standing among global partners in the fight against drug trafficking and give the unfortunate impression to the rest of the world that our country, under President Tinubu, has particular sympathy for drug dealers and that Nigeria is a risk-free jurisdiction for traffickers in narcotics.
“Make no mistakes, with this mass clemency for drug dealers, President Tinubu and the APC are redefining the standard of morality in our country. They are gradually transforming Nigeria into a country where anything goes; a country where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment beyond a few months of inconvenience for the criminal to show remorse.”
Similarly, in a post on his social media platforms, Atiku said the President’s action was not only reckless but it also emboldens criminality, stressing that as expected it provoked outrage across the nation.
particularly that of Maryam Sanda who committed murder for killing her husband and other convicted drug traffickers
In a statement, he said: “It is morally wrong to extend mercy to such offenders. It is a rape of justice that is capable of damaging Nigeria’s international reputation.”
He argued that the decision contradicted the principle of rule of law as enshrined in the 1999 constitution and international norms like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“This act, while constitutionally permissible, contravenes the moral imperatives of retributive justice and restorative equity.
“It inflicts psychological trauma on victims’ families, perpetuates systemic injustice and erodes the deterrence mechanisms essential for societal stability,” he stated.
He argued that pardoning Sanda undermines the intrinsic value of human life and the principle of accountability, while granting clemency to drug traffickers signals a moral abdication that normalises predation on society’s most fragile members.
“Nationally, this portrays Nigeria as a haven for impunity and deters foreign investment in a country already battling reputational deficits from corruption.
“Internationally, it undermines Nigeria’s credibility with institutions like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has commended the country’s anti-narcotics efforts,” he stated.
