The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) in Nigeria has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider granting a conditional presidential pardon to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, citing national security interests amid rising terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry. In a statement issued on August 1, 2025, by its Head of Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, Ambassador Dr. Duru Hezekiah, the IHRC clarified that the appeal respects ongoing judicial proceedings against Kyari and does not aim to interfere with justice. Instead, it proposes a “future-focused, constitutionally grounded approach” to leverage Kyari’s expertise in combating insecurity, under strict public accountability, referencing Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the president to grant pardons.
The IHRC highlighted global precedents, such as the U.S. recruiting former hackers for cybersecurity and African states granting conditional amnesties to ex-warlords for peace building, suggesting a similar framework could transform Kyari into a “rehabilitated asset” for Nigeria’s security framework. Kyari, once lauded for leading crackdowns on kidnappers and terror groups, was suspended in 2022 following his indictment in a cocaine trafficking case, with his trial ongoing at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The commission called for a national dialogue to harmonize justice and resilience, stressing that the pardon would prioritize public interest over impunity.
