Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has reacted to the pardon and clemency granted by Bola Tinubu to soldiers indicted for selling arms and ammunition meant for Nigeria’s war against terrorism and banditry.
Last Thursday, the National Council of State granted a presidential pardon to different categories of individuals convicted of serious human rights violations and criminal activities.
The action has since generated controversy, as some convicts, ex-convicts, drug offenders, illegal miners, and foreigners are among the recipients of the presidential pardon.
The likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Gregory Obi, civil society organisations and political parties have all spoken out, condemning Tinubu’s action and warning of its dire consequences for the country.
In a post on X, Fisayo suggested that the clemency prioritised offenders over their victims, blocking justice and reparations for those who suffered from their actions.
He wrote, “A country where patriotic soldiers on the battlefield get slaughtered by terrorists but the soldiers stealing and selling arms to terrorists receive presidential pardon”.
Between 2000 and 2006, thousands of rifles, sub-machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and other munitions disappeared from two key military armouries — the Command and Staff College in Jaji and the One Base Ordnance Depot, both located in Kaduna State.
The weapons were stolen in batches over a six-year period without any reported breach or forced entry, raising questions about internal complicity and systemic failure within Nigeria’s military structure.
In 2008, Akubo, who was then a serving major, was arrested alongside five others for stealing and selling the weapons to criminal networks with ties to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Presidential Pardon Emboldens Criminality in Nigeria, Weakens Justice System
During their court-martial, military judge Bala Usara revealed that the stolen weapons were valued at about ₦100 million (approximately $850,000 at the time).
The soldiers were convicted of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy, all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.
Their actions directly endangered military operations and national security, amounting to aiding the enemy.
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