Josef Onoh Urges President Tinubu to Revoke Clemency Granted to Maryam Sanda, Drug Convicts, Others, Describes Action as “Rape of Justice”

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication in the South-East, Josef Onoh, has strongly urged his principal to revoke the recent presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda and some convicted drug traffickers, describing the action as “morally wrong” and “a rape of justice.”

Last week, President Tinubu approved the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, which granted clemency to 175 individuals, including capital offenders, drug convicts, and some foreign nationals.

Among those who benefited from the presidential pardon was Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute. Others included drug offenders such as Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, and Isaac Justina, whose conviction for cannabis possession was reduced.

In a statement released on Sunday, Onoh condemned the decision, arguing that extending mercy to such offenders was “morally wrong” and a “rape of justice” that could tarnish Nigeria’s global image. He stressed that the pardon contradicted the principles of justice and accountability enshrined in both the 1999 Constitution and international conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He stated: “This act, while constitutionally permissible, contravenes the moral imperatives of retributive justice and restorative equity. It inflicts psychological trauma on victims’ families, perpetuates systemic injustice, and erodes the deterrence mechanisms essential for societal stability.”

According to Onoh, pardoning Maryam Sanda “undermines the intrinsic value of human life and the principle of accountability,” while granting clemency to convicted drug traffickers “signals a moral abdication that normalises predation on society’s most fragile members.”

He added: “Nationally, this portrays Nigeria as a haven for impunity and deters foreign investment in a country already battling reputational deficits from corruption. 

“Internationally, it undermines Nigeria’s credibility with institutions like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has commended the country’s anti-narcotics efforts.”

Onoh further expressed concern that the decision could demoralise security operatives, including NDLEA agents and police officers, who risked their lives to ensure that such criminals were brought to justice.

He therefore called on President Tinubu to review and reverse the pardons granted to Sanda and the convicted drug traffickers, urging that such a step was essential to “restore equity, heal the national conscience, and safeguard Nigeria’s global image.”

Concluding his statement, Onoh emphasized: “The reversal would not just be a correction but a moral imperative for a just federation.”