Families of seven murdered farmers in Gaba community, Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State, have condemned the recent state pardon granted to 11 men sentenced to death for the killing, warning that the decision could reignite communal unrest.
The convicts were found guilty by Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the Niger State High Court and sentenced to death by hanging on February 2, 2022, after a four-year legal battle.
The court had ruled they were responsible for the 2018 murder of seven farmers and the injury of two others during a violent attack on Gaba community farmlands.
Addressing journalists in Minna on Thursday, Chairman of Gaba Development Association, Mr. Paul Gana, said the families of the slain farmers were denied justice by the pardon, describing the decision as “a betrayal of the rule of law.”
“The release of these convicted killers is not only unjust, but it is also provocative. It risks reopening old wounds and plunging our communities back into conflict,” Gana warned.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago had, on Tuesday, granted unconditional state pardon to the 11 convicts.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Nasiru Mu’azu, announced the decision at a press briefing at the Government House, Minna.
According to Mu’azu, the pardon was issued in line with the governor’s constitutional powers, following recommendations from the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
He said the move was part of a broader reconciliation effort between Gaba and Amfani communities, whose longstanding dispute led to the 2018 violence.
“Several meetings were held with the affected communities, and the issues have been resolved amicably. The pardon is to foster lasting peace in the area,” the Commissioner stated.
Mu’azu confirmed that the instrument of pardon was signed on May 28, 2025, and has since been gazetted.
However, the Gaba community insists that peace cannot be built on injustice. “We pursued justice through lawful means for four years.
“The court delivered a thorough 779-page judgment. This pardon completely disregards all that effort and the lives that were lost,” Gana said.
The beneficiaries of the pardon include Mohammed Mohammed, Nana Alhaji Sheshi, Isah Baba Nmadu, Mohammed Mohammed Ndabida, Abubakar Baba Salihu, Baba Mohammed Shaba, Adamu Mohammed Babaminin, Haruna Mohammed, Isah Mohammed Alhaji Inuwa, Ibrahim Mohammed, and Mohammed Isah.
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