Outrage In Niger Community Over State Pardon For 11 Convicts
A wave of outrage and condemnation have greeted the recent decision by Niger Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago to grant state pardon to 11 individuals convicted for the gruesome murder of seven indigenes of Gaba community in Lavun Local Government Area.
The community stated that the pardon is a miscarriage of justice and a dangerous precedent, adding that if the pardon stands, the Governor will be referenced as creating a backdoor escape for convicted murderers and criminals.
An open letter to the Governor by the Gaba Development Association, signed by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Baba warned the move could erode public confidence in the judiciary and embolden criminality in the state.
“This action will earn you the reputation of being the first governor in the history of Niger State to weaponise the power of state pardon to subvert and circumvent justice,” the letter stated.
The community noted the victims who were killed by the pardoned individuals were unarmed and innocent, disclosing that their bodies were not only mutilated but also had parts carted away by the convicted attackers.
The association described the incident as one of the most heinous crimes in Nupe history.
The community recalled how its elders and other concerned Niger indigenes intervened to prevent retaliatory attacks for the the judicial process to take its course pointing that the court eventually found the accused guilty, bringing some sense of justice and closure to grieving families.
However, the community said the state pardon has reopened old wounds and raised fears that justice can be manipulated through political or executive discretion.
“It devalues the lives of the victims, disrespects their families, and tramples on the rights and memories of the deceased. It also dampens the morale of law enforcement officers who painstakingly investigated the case,” the association lamented.
The decision, they noted, also stands in contrast to the governor’s recent tough stance on crime in Minna, where a curfew was imposed on motorcycles and tricycles over rising insecurity.
The Gaba Development Association warned that the pardon could send the wrong message to the public and potentially incite a fresh wave of violence if not urgently reversed.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Nasiru Muhammad Muazu, during a briefing on Tuesday, said the Governor granted unconditional state pardon to 11 persons sentenced to death by a Minna High Court over a deadly communal clash between Gaba and Anfani communities in Lavun Local Government Area.
The Attorney General said the pardon was granted in line with Section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the governor to exercise the prerogative of mercy. He noted that the decision followed a plea submitted by the convicts, which was reviewed by the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
