Ayodele faults Tinubu’s pardon for convicted criminals

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has faulted President Bola Tinubu over the recent presidential pardon granted to some convicted criminals, describing the decision as a setback to the nation’s anti-crime efforts.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele said the pardon undermines the sacrifices of security agencies and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which worked tirelessly to apprehend and prosecute the offenders.

He said many of those pardoned were serving sentences for offences such as drug trafficking, murder and human trafficking, adding that such action sends a wrong signal to law enforcement officers and the public.

“Why should criminals and drug pushers be pardoned? It amounts to wasting the efforts of security operatives who risked their lives to bring them to justice,” he said.

The cleric argued that if individuals convicted of serious crimes could be released, it was unjust to keep the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in custody for years without sentencing.

“Since people already sentenced to death or life imprisonment have been freed, why is Nnamdi Kanu still in detention? If justice must be fair, he too should be released,” Ayodele said.

He further advised President Tinubu to review the quality of counsel he receives from his advisers, warning that wrong advice on key national issues could damage his administration’s reputation.

“Tinubu must do away with bad advisers, especially on economic and security matters. They are misleading him and could ruin his government if he fails to act,” Ayodele added.