A multi-agency review of the controversial presidential pardon list has been ordered by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been assigned the responsibility to carry out the probe.
President Bola Tinubu is said to be awaiting the submission of the vetted list for his final endorsement, amid efforts to ensure only eligible beneficiaries were cleared.The President had, in the exercise of his constitutional powers, granted clemency to 175 persons convicted of various offences.
Fagbemi who announced the pardon at the Council of State meeting held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, said illegal miners, white-collar convicts, drug offenders, foreigners, Maj Gen Mamman Vatsa, Prof Magaji Garba, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Eight, as well as capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, among the 175 convicts and former convicts received Tinubu’s pardon.
Fagbemi’s spokesperson, Kamorudeen Ogundele, told The PUNCH that “the review is ongoing. The ministry is working with relevant agencies to ensure that the process meets all legal and ethical standards.”
Ogundele did not give further details, but competent presidential sources revealed that “some low-level officers at the level of the committee smuggled in some names. Obviously, the President is unaware of some of the names on that list.
“They have now sent the list to the NDLEA and other security agencies for review. Some of the names on the list did not meet the criteria. Some low-level officers bypassed the criteria.
“The good thing is that they are still in custody; they have not been released.”
The sources said the list, currently undergoing a rigorous screening process, had been sent to the EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA, and police, among other agencies, for comprehensive background checks by the office of the Attorney General.
“From what I’ve seen, more than half of the names are likely to be dropped once the agencies complete their findings. The government doesn’t want anyone with unresolved corruption or criminal cases to benefit from the process,” the source said.
The Presidency on Saturday, October 11, 2025, released the full list which was divided into six categories: Those granted pardon, posthumous pardon (including the Ogoni Nine), victims of the Ogoni Nine honoured, presidential clemency (clemency beneficiaries), inmates recommended for reduced terms of imprisonment, and inmates on death row whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
It was learnt that the EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), NDLEA, police, among others, reportedly queried the list.
On October 16, Fagbemi (SAN), however, explained that the pardon my Mr. President was still under review and had not been finalised.
