President Bola Tinubu has approved a presidential pardon for 175 individuals across various categories, including prominent historical figures such as Herbert Macaulay and former FCT Minister, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd). The decision, endorsed by the Council of State on Thursday, followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who submitted recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy in accordance with constitutional guidelines.
According to reports, the list—though not yet fully released—includes figures whose cases have long attracted public and historical attention, such as the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four. Their inclusion represents an effort to address longstanding controversies and injustices tied to Nigeria’s political and historical past.
Herbert Macaulay, revered as the “father of Nigerian nationalism,” was convicted twice by British colonial authorities in Lagos. His 1913 conviction for alleged fund mismanagement, which many historians consider politically motivated, is among the historical injustices now symbolically rectified through Tinubu’s exercise of presidential mercy.
