Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has granted unconditional state pardon to eleven individuals who were sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in a deadly communal clash between Gaba and Anfani communities in Lavun Local Government Area.
The convicts, all members of the Anfani community, had been sentenced by a Minna High Court on February 8, 2022, for culpable homicide following the 2018 violence that left several people dead and properties destroyed.
Speaking to journalists in Minna on Tuesday, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Nasiru Muhammad Muazua, disclosed that the Governor’s decision was based on Section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers state governors to exercise prerogative of mercy.
“The Governor acted on a plea made by the convicts to the office of the Governor and the Attorney General. The request was reviewed by the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, whose recommendation the Governor accepted and granted the pardon on May 28, 2025,” Muazua explained.
According to him, the Governor’s action was not only a constitutional exercise but also a peacebuilding effort aimed at healing longstanding wounds in the conflict-ridden Lavun communities.
“Governor Bago had previously held a series of peace meetings between the Gaba and Anfani communities to find a lasting resolution to the crisis. The pardon is a step towards reconciliation and sustainable peace,” the Attorney General said.
The eleven pardoned individuals include: Mohammed Mohammed, Ndana Alhaji Sheshi, Isah Baba Madu, Mohammed Mohammed Nda Bida, Abubakar Baba Salihu, Baba Mohammed Shaba, Adamu Mohammed Baba, Haruna Muhammed, Isah Mohammed Alhaji Inuwa, Ibrahim Mohammed, Mohammed Isah.
Their release marks a significant intervention in the state’s efforts to de-escalate communal tensions and promote restorative justice.
The decision has drawn attention from civil society and human rights groups, some of whom see it as a courageous step toward peace, while others call for broader justice sector reforms to prevent such conflicts from escalating to violence in the future.
