Onoh Urges Tinubu to Reverse Clemency Granted to Maryam Sanda, Drug Convicts

President Bola Tinubu’s South East spokesman, Dr. Josef Onoh, has called on the President to withdraw the recent presidential pardon granted to convicted murderers and drug traffickers, describing it as “a moral and legal error that undermines justice.”

Onoh was reacting to the clemency granted to 175 inmates, including Maryam Sanda who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello and several drug offenders, following recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

He argued that granting mercy to such convicts was “a rape of justice” and could damage Nigeria’s moral and international reputation. “While constitutionally permissible, this act violates the moral imperatives of retributive justice and inflicts psychological trauma on victims’ families,” he said.

Onoh specifically faulted the pardon of drug traffickers such as Nweke Francis Chibueze, who was serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, and Isaac Justina, whose sentence for cannabis possession was reduced.

He warned that the decision could erode public trust in the justice system and demoralise security agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), whose personnel risked their lives to secure convictions.

“This portrays Nigeria as a haven for impunity and undermines our credibility before international partners like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime,” Onoh stated.

He further cautioned that the move could negatively influence Nigeria’s youth, normalising crime and violence. “When serious offenders are freed without accountability, it sends a dangerous message to the younger generation,” he added.

Onoh appealed to President Tinubu to review and reverse the pardons through a transparent process to “restore public confidence, strengthen justice, and protect Nigeria’s image as a nation governed by the rule of law.”

He concluded that reversing the decision would “honour the victims, uplift the integrity of the justice system, and reaffirm the government’s moral commitment to fairness and accountability.”