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Nearly One-Third of Tinubu’s Presidential Pardon Beneficiaries Convicted for Drug Offences, Statisense Data Shows

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New data from analytics firm Statisense has revealed that almost three in every ten Nigerians granted presidential pardon by President Bola Tinubu were convicted for drug-related crimes, raising questions about the criteria guiding the clemency process.

According to the report, 29.2% of the beneficiaries had been convicted for drug offences, making it the single largest category of pardoned crimes.

It is followed by unlawful mining, which accounted for 24%, reflecting the growing concern over illegal mining operations and the federal government’s ongoing efforts to sanitise the sector.

The data further shows that 13.5% of those pardoned were convicted for homicide, while 12.3% were involved in fraud or corruption cases.

Offences such as hijacking (5.8%), firearms possession (2.3%), robbery/theft (2.3%), kidnapping (1.8%), and human trafficking (1.8%) also featured among the pardoned categories.

Statisense noted that the remaining 5.8% were convicted of other unspecified crimes.

The figures have stirred fresh debate on the use of presidential clemency, which critics, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, say risks eroding public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system if applied to serious offenses.

Analysts say the dominance of drug and unlawful mining offences among the pardoned convicts highlights a troubling contradiction, as both sectors have been at the heart of the government’s campaigns against narcotics and illegal resource exploitation.

President Tinubu’s administration has defended the exercise as an act of mercy within constitutional powers.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the pardons were "based on the reports that the convicts had shown remorse and good conduct."

He posted a list of the recipients on X on Saturday.

Onanuga disclosed that President Tinubu "forgave some" due to old age, the acquisition of new vocational skills, or enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). 


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