Tinubu do U-turn, reduce Maryam Sanda sentence, remove odas from pardon list

Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu don sign di instrument of mercy to grant pardon and clemency to specific individuals wey dey earlier convicted for various offences.

Di list wey first come out contain about 175 names wey President Tinubu bin wan grant pardon, but now di list don reduce afta dem delete some names.

One of di names for di list bifor na Maryam Sanda wey court bin sentence to death for 2020 sake of say she stab her husband to death.

But now, dem don reduce Maryam Sanda sentence to 12 years, instead of di death by hanging wey court sama her for 2020.

According to president Tinubu tok-tok pesin Bayo Onanuga for im 29 October, 2025 statement, dem delete some names for di list of pipo wey di president bin grant pardon bifor sake of di nature of dia crime.

"Certain pesins wey dey convicted of serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, unlawful possession of firearms/arms dealing dey deleted from di list."

E add say odas wey dem pardon for di old list, dem don move dia sentences to life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, for di full list wey Onanuga post for im Facebook page, e show di "updated list of convicts wey dem grant presidential clemency or commutation of sentences".

For di list, Maryam Sanda name bin show for di last page but dem don reduce her sentence.

Maryam Sanda suppose chop death by hanging bifor, but now her jail term don reduce to 12 years.

"To serve 12 years based on compassionate grounds for di best interest of di children and good conduct, embraced new lifestyle, model prisoners and remorsefulness," dis na according to di review.

However, Maryam Sanda don spend about six years alreadi, and e mean say she get six more years to serve for jail.

Why govment delete some names

Onanuga say di president ask say make dem review di list again.

"Following consultations wit di Council of State and public opinion ontop di mata, di President bin direct further review of di initially approved list for consideration for furtherance of di President discretionary powers under Section 175(1)(&(2) of di 1999 Constitution (as amended)."

Dem say di reason why dem comot some pipo name for di previous list na sake of how sensitive di mata be.

Wen di tori of Maryam Sanda bin comot say di president wan pardon her, e cause plenti tok-tok among Nigerians, including di family of di pesin wey she kpai.

"Dis action become necessary sake of seriousness and security implications of some of di offences, di need to dey sensitive to di feelings of di victims of di crimes and society in general, di need to boost di morale of law enforcement agencies and adherence to bilateral obligations."

Dem don transfer di approved list of eligible beneficiaries to di Nigerian Correctional Service.

President Tinubu say only di pipo wey fully meet di stipulated legal and procedural requirements go benefit from di instruments of release.

Pipo wey get President Tinubu pardon

1. Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia

2. Bar. Hussaini Alhaji Umar

3. Ayinla Saadu Alanamu

4. Hon. Farouk M. Lawan

5. Herbert Macaulay

6. Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa

7. Ken Saro Wiwa

8. Saturday Dobee

9. Nordu Eawo

10. Daniel Gbooko

11. Paul Levera

12. Felix Nuale

13. Baribor Bera

14. Barinem Kiobel

15. John Kpuine

Pipo wey dem change dia death sentence to life imprisonment

1. Emmanuel Baba

2. Abubakar Usman

3. Khalifa Umar

4. Mohammed Umar

Pipo wey dem grant clemency

1. Oroka Michael Chibueze

2. Adesanya Olufemi Paul

3. Daniel Bodunwa

4. Hamza Abubakar

5. Buhari Sani

6. Mohammed Musa

7. Muharazu Abubakar

8. Ibrahim Yusuf

9. Saad Ahmed Madaki

10. Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa

11. Richard Ayuba

12. Adam Abubakar

13. Emmanuel Yusuf

14. Chinedu Stanley

15. Johnny Ntheru Udor

Pipo wey dem reduce dia sentence