Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has expressed strong disapproval over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to convicted murderers, drug traffickers, and other criminals, warning Nigerians to stay vigilant and protect their lives.
The actress’s reaction comes in the wake of a report that 175 convicts were granted clemency under the President’s Prerogative of Mercy policy a constitutional provision that allows the head of state to release or commute sentences on humanitarian grounds.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Information, the list of beneficiaries includes 28 drug traffickers, 41 illegal miners, and 22 convicted murderers, among others.
Taking to her social media page, Kemi Afolabi condemned the decision, urging Nigerians to be cautious in a country where, according to her, even those convicted of the most heinous crimes can easily regain freedom.
She wrote, “Don’t let anyone take your life.”
Her comment reflects the growing public outrage and disbelief surrounding the presidential clemency, which many critics have described as a threat to justice and public safety.
The move has also stirred emotional reactions from families of victims, particularly following the release of high-profile convicts such as Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for murdering her husband but walked free under the same presidential pardon.
As Nigerians continue to express outrage, Kemi Afolabi’s statement echoes a broader concern that justice in the country appears to be losing its moral balance, leaving citizens to question whose lives truly matter in the eyes of the law.
