In the name of Allah.
My late Wife- Rukayya will be 40 days tomorrow 11th April 2026 since she was taken by her creator- Allah.
Endeavor to include her and us in your prayers please.
May Allah forgive her and have mercy on her soul alongside all our departed.
Mustapha Adamu,
Sarcastic Sunday: Tinubu’s Amnesty — But Who Will Pardon The President? - Part 1
October 12, 2025
By Mohammed Bello Doka
Welcome to Sarcastic Sunday with Mohammed Bello Doka, where we study Nigeria’s political gymnastics sarcastically — because doing otherwise will choke us to death.
Another Sunday, another miracle from Aso Rock. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has opened the gates of mercy wide enough to let even the devil stroll through with a presidential handshake. In one sweeping act of compassion, he has granted amnesty to a long list of convicts — from drug traffickers to murderers — because, apparently, Nigeria has become a land where crime not only pays but also gets state-sponsored forgiveness.
Yes, it’s official: repentance is no longer the path to redemption — all you need now is a presidential signature. Some say it’s an act of grace, others call it national comedy. I call it what it truly is — "The Federal Republic of Forgiveness, Unlimited."
Among those pardoned were convicted drug offenders, financial criminals, and even a woman accused of killing her husband. Only in Nigeria can a widow-maker receive state mercy while widows are still waiting for food palliatives. Maybe it’s all part of our gender equality agenda — equal opportunities for everyone, including killers.
And let’s not pretend the irony isn’t loud enough to wake the ancestors. For a president once accused of forfeiting $460,000 to the U.S. authorities in a drug-linked investigation, pardoning drug dealers feels less like compassion and more like a class reunion of the cartel alumni association. The man was never convicted, yes, but the whispers have never faded — especially now that his government is doing everything possible to block the FBI from releasing the files.
Nigeria, oh Nigeria. We are now a country where forgiveness is selective and justice wears designer sunglasses. When a poor man steals a loaf of bread, he becomes an example; when a rich man steals the bakery, he becomes a motivational speaker.
“In Nigeria, sin is not the problem — it’s poverty that makes sin unforgivable.”
They told us it was about decongesting the prisons, but we all know that’s a lie. Our prisons were full of the wrong people anyway — the small thieves, the unlucky youths, the street hustlers who couldn’t afford lawyers. Now, the presidential broom has swept them aside to make room for a new kind of elite: the VIP ex-convicts, freshly laundered and ready for political appointments.
“Our democracy has evolved — from government of the people to government of the pardoned.”
Let’s not forget the economic theatre in which this pardon was staged. Inflation is currently hovering around 24.23%, food inflation sits at 21.79%, and the naira, our beloved national symbol, is now ₦1,600 to a dollar. That means the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage amounts to a majestic $43.75 per month — or roughly $1.45 per day.
Congratulations, dear Nigerian worker. You are now officially poorer than the World Bank’s global poverty line of $2.15 per day. Even your suffering has gone international.
“The naira didn’t just fall — it fainted, revived, and fainted again.”
Over 54% of Nigerians now live below the poverty line. In rural areas, it’s 75.5%, while 41.3% of urban dwellers are also broke with dignity. But don’t worry — the government insists that better days are coming. The only problem is, those days are coming by road, and bad roads don’t let progress arrive on time.
And while citizens tighten belts they no longer wear, insecurity tightens the noose. Banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism have become part of our national anthem. Every day, Nigerians are abducted faster than policy promises. Yet, in the middle of it all, the government found time to pardon criminals. Maybe they’re freeing the bandits so they can come back and register for next year’s empowerment programmes.