Presidential Pardon: When Mercy Becomes Madness

Since the instrumentality of ideology successful 1999, nary authorities pardon has generated arsenic overmuch outrage arsenic the 1 conscionable announced by President Bola Tinubu. And for bully reason.

President Tinubu has granted clemency to 175 convicts and erstwhile convicts, with the Presidency claiming the determination was based connected factors including remorse, bully conduct, aged age, vocational skills, and acquisition programs. The Presidential Advisory Committee connected the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, recommended these pardons aft “careful consideration.”

The database includes notable individuals similar erstwhile Representative Farouk Lawan (convicted of corruption), assorted cause dealers, kidnappers, and murderers.

But nary of them generated the outrage similar 1 peculiar lawsuit – Maryam Sanda.

My absorption to the Maryam Sanda pardon? This is wherever I gully the enactment betwixt mercy and madness.

Maryam Sanda stabbed her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, 5 times portion helium was sleeping – 5 times! This wasn’t a transgression of passionateness successful a infinitesimal of heated argument. This was cold, premeditated murder. She was convicted and sentenced to decease successful 2020. Yet aft spending little than 5 years successful prison, she’s been granted clemency.

The reasoning down her merchandise is peculiarly galling. They assertion her household pleaded for her release, arguing it was successful the champion involvement of her 2 children. Her bully behaviour successful situation and remorse are cited arsenic justifications. But here’s the question cipher wants to ask: What lessons are we teaching with this pardon?

We’re telling nine that if you termination your spouse, amusement immoderate remorse successful prison, and person babelike children, you tin locomotion escaped aft a fewer years.

We’re sending a connection to abused spouses that their murderers mightiness beryllium released done statesmanlike mercy. We’re telling women that justness for execution is temporary, conditional, and negotiable.

The begetter of the deceased, Ahmed, claims helium fought for Maryam’s merchandise to assistance her attraction for the children. But a pistillate who stabs her hubby to decease 5 times successful acold humor has nary concern raising children. Those children merit to cognize that their parent paid for taking their father’s life, not that she got a reduced condemnation due to the fact that she has them.

But Maryam Sanda is not unsocial successful this travesty. Consider Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe, a convicted kidnapper whose condemnation was reduced from 20 years to 13 years. This antheral abducted Mike Ozekhome, elder advocator of Nigeria (SAN), successful 2013 and held him hostage for 3 weeks until a N40 cardinal ransom was paid. Four constabulary officers were killed responding to his kidnapping activities. His pack was liable for aggregate high-profile abductions crossed Delta State.

This notorious criminal, described arsenic idiosyncratic who terrorised Delta State and its environs, has had his condemnation slashed. The message? Kidnap high-profile people, termination constabulary officers, request ransoms, and if you amusement bully behaviour successful situation for a fewer years, you mightiness get retired early.

How is Mike Ozekhome feeling close now? The antheral was held hostage for 3 weeks, his household tortured with uncertainty, helium paid N40 cardinal to unafraid his release, and present his abductor has had his condemnation reduced.

What’s the constituent of getting justness if the strategy volition reverse it years later?

I besides privation to inquire the members of the committee that compiled these names – however bash they slumber astatine nighttime granting pardon to murderers, cause dealers, and kidnappers successful the sanction of amnesty? What they’ve done is endanger nine and enactment the remainder of america astatine risk. The radical who testified against these criminals don’t adjacent person harmless lives anymore.

How is National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA )boss Buba Marwa feeling now? His operatives person mislaid colleagues warring cause traffickers. Money has been spent catching and prosecuting these criminals. Convictions person been secured. And with a changeable of the statesmanlike pen, they’re released.

What’s the inducement for instrumentality enforcement to support warring erstwhile their victories tin beryllium erased by enforcement clemency?

The committee is not being just to Nigerians. Yes, the president and the Council of States person the close to assistance a pardon, but they don’t person the close to maltreatment it. Maryam Sanda hasn’t served her sentence. Where is the justness for the unfortunate who tin ne'er beryllium tried again successful immoderate tribunal due to the fact that he’s dead?

The Attorney-General released a harm power connection claiming nary inmate has been released yet and that the process remains astatine a “review stage.” They assertion this is modular protocol and reflects a committedness to transparency. But this is axenic nonsense. The harm is already done. The connection has been sent – Nigerian justness is impermanent and taxable to ...