A storm is brewing over President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to grant state pardons to 175 inmates, including convicted murderers and drug traffickers, as his Special Adviser on Policy Communication for the South-East, Josef Onoh, has openly condemned the move.
Onoh described the clemency as “morally wrong” and a “rape of justice,” warning that it could tarnish Nigeria’s global image and undermine the fight against drug crimes.
Among those pardoned were Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello; Nweke Francis Chibueze, jailed for cocaine trafficking; and Isaac Justina, convicted for cannabis possession.
“This act, while lawful, contradicts the moral imperatives of retributive justice and restorative equity. It inflicts psychological pain on victims’ families, perpetuates systemic injustice, and weakens deterrence mechanisms vital to societal order,” Onoh said.
He insisted that freeing convicted drug offenders “signals moral decay that endangers vulnerable members of society,” and that pardoning Sanda “undermines the sanctity of human life and accountability.”
Onoh warned that the decision paints Nigeria as “a haven for impunity,” discourages investors, and damages the nation’s credibility with global institutions like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which had praised Nigeria’s anti-narcotics drive.
He added that it could also demoralise officers of the NDLEA and police who risk their lives to arrest such criminals.
“Reversing this decision would not merely correct an error—it is a moral necessity to restore justice, heal the nation’s conscience, and protect Nigeria’s global reputation,” Onoh stated.
