Dalena Reporters | Abuja | October 13, 2025
Fresh controversy has rocked the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following revelations that a convicted kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, was among the high-profile criminals secretly released under the President’s recent clemency and prerogative of mercy programme.
Oniarah, better known as Kelvin Ibruvwe, was once declared Nigeria’s most wanted kidnapper and was linked to several cases of violent crimes, including the 2013 abduction of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, and the kidnap and subsequent killing of former Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Chudi Nwike.
According to documents obtained by Dalena Reporters from SaharaReporters investigations, Oniarah’s name appeared on an internal list of 147 inmates granted state pardon, sentence reduction or release by President Tinubu. The clemency was reportedly approved during a closed-door session of the National Council of State chaired by the President in Abuja.
Oniarah, who operated a militant-style criminal network across Delta, Edo and parts of the South-East, led one of Nigeria’s most violent kidnap syndicates, notorious for abducting politicians, judges, business executives, and foreign workers for ransom.
He was dramatically arrested in 2013 by a joint operation of the Nigerian Army and the DSS in Port Harcourt after years on the run. Before his arrest, he publicly threatened the Nigerian government in a viral audio message, demanding "economic compensation" for the Niger Delta, while justifying kidnappings as “revolutionary struggle.”
Sources familiar with his prosecution confirmed that Oniarah faced multiple charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms before a Federal High Court.
News of Oniarah’s release has triggered anger and disbelief across the country. Families of past victims, civil society organisations and legal practitioners are accusing the government of “rewarding terrorism and undermining justice.”
A Lagos-based security analyst, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told Dalena Reporters:
“This administration is playing politics with national security. You cannot free a convicted terror-linked kidnapper while Nigerians are still being kidnapped daily across highways. This is a direct insult to victims’ families and a dangerous signal to criminal gangs.”
Similarly, the Coalition Against Injustice in Nigeria (CAIN) condemned the clemency, calling it “government-sponsored criminal rehabilitation without justice.”
Presidency sources defended the action, insisting that the clemency programme was “legal, constitutional and humane.” According to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the presidential pardon targeted “reformation, rehabilitation and decongestion of correctional facilities.”
A senior aide to the President told Dalena Reporters:
“Some of the pardoned inmates have shown genuine remorse and completed rehabilitation programmes. The decision went through security scrutiny and the National Council of State approved it.”
However, the aide did not respond to questions on why a high-risk convict like Oniarah passed security vetting, nor whether he signed any post-release monitoring agreement with the DSS.
Victims Demand Answers
The family of the late Dr. Chudi Nwike, who was murdered after being abducted in 2013, has vowed to challenge the clemency in court.
Speaking from Onitsha, Nwike’s elder brother said:
“Kelvin murdered our brother even after collecting ransom. Let Tinubu know that this fight is not over. We will sue the Federal Government for this disgraceful abuse of power.”
Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a former victim who was kidnapped by Oniarah’s gang in 2013, also described the pardon as “shocking and insensitive.”
Lawmakers Demand Probe
Opposition senators are reportedly planning a motion seeking details of the clemency process, demanding the full list of beneficiaries and the criteria for their selection.
Senator Adams Suleiman (PDP – Kaduna Central) accused the Presidency of shielding criminals for political interests.
“Nigeria cannot fight insecurity while negotiating with criminals on one hand and releasing convicted kidnappers on the other,” he said.
Legal experts say the President’s powers of pardon under Section 175 of the Nigerian Constitution are absolute but must be exercised in the public interest and not abused.
Security sources fear Kelvin Oniarah may return to the creeks of the Niger Delta or reunite with old allies in organised crime, raising concerns about national security implications of the clemency.
As of press time, neither the Minister of Interior nor the Nigerian Correctional Service has officially released the full clemency list to the public.