According to exclusive findings by WESTERN POST, Sanda will now serve a 12-year prison sentence instead of benefiting from a full pardon under the federal government’s prerogative of mercy.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier ordered that individuals convicted of serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the clemency initiative. The directive followed widespread public criticism and consultations with the Council of State.
Sanda’s inclusion in the original list of 175 pardoned individuals sparked outrage among Nigerians who viewed her case as undeserving of mercy due to the gravity of her offence.
The presidential pardon list, approved by the Council of State on October 9, had also included prominent names such as nationalist Herbert Macaulay, former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 for alleged treason.
However, following the president’s intervention, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, initiated a review of the list to ensure that only deserving cases benefit from the clemency programme.
