CISLAC faults Tinubu’s pardon of corrupt individuals, warns of rising impunity

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardon to 175 individuals, including convicted drug traffickers, illegal miners, capital offenders and public officials found guilty of corruption.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), CISLAC described the mass clemency as “legally questionable, morally wrong, and damaging to Nigeria’s image both locally and internationally.”

Among those reportedly pardoned are individuals involved in oil theft, kidnapping, and transnational crimes.

CISLAC argued that such individuals should not benefit from presidential clemency, especially where Nigerian courts had no jurisdiction over their conviction.

It said the president cannot pardon someone convicted by a foreign court when Nigerian jurisdiction wasn’t involved in the conviction. “That is beyond the constitutional powers of the Nigerian president,” the organisation stated.


The group warned that the decision could undermine international legal cooperation, particularly in anti-corruption and narcotics control, areas where Nigeria relies on foreign technical and intelligence support. It also cautioned that the country’s efforts on asset recovery could be jeopardised.

CISLAC noted that the decision sends the wrong signal to international partners and demoralises anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA and CCB, which have expended significant effort and risk in prosecuting those affected.

It described the move as an insult to the justice system and a slap in the face of the anti-corruption agencies who risked their lives to bring some of these people to justice. “How do you motivate officers to continue their work when their efforts are undone with a single signature?” it asked.


The organisation expressed concern that while influential individuals were being pardoned, thousands of poor Nigerians remain in correctional centres without trial.

Although the federal government justified the pardon on grounds of good behaviour, skill acquisition, age and remorse, with some inmates enrolled in the National Open University of Nigeria, CISLAC insisted that forgiveness should not equate to exoneration.

The group also warned that some beneficiaries might return to organised crime networks, thereby worsening insecurity and eroding public trust.

The organisation called for a review of the presidential pardon process and urged the government to prioritise inmates awaiting trial or those convicted of non-violent offences. It further advised the presidency to uphold transparency and due process to preserve Nigeria’s international credibility.