The Gaba Development Association in Lavun Local Council of Niger State has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the recent state pardon granted to eleven individuals sentenced to death by Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the Niger State High Court for the culpable homicide of seven unarmed members of the Gaba community.

Speaking at a press conference in Minna, the Chairman of the Gaba Development Association, Mr. Paul Gana, appealed to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to withdraw the amnesty, insisting that the decision has deeply hurt the families of the victims.

Mr. Gana recounted that in 2018, the victims were brutally attacked on their farmlands by the convicted individuals, resulting in the death of seven people and serious injuries to two others.

He emphasised that the Gaba community had pursued justice for over four years, culminating in the February 2, 2022, judgment where Justice Abubakar delivered a 779-page verdict, sentencing the eleven culprits to death by hanging for conspiracy and culpable homicide.

“As I speak here in Minna, people in the village are mourning. We are calling on Governor Bago to reconsider the state pardon and allow us to live in peace on our land,” Gana said.

He stated that the Gaba community was not involved in any of the peace meetings reportedly held by the government and that their exclusion casts doubt on the reconciliation process.

He warned that the decision to release the convicts could undermine peace and security in Gaba and neighboring villages.

Following the state pardon, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State, Barrister Nasiru Mu’azu, while addressing journalists at the Government House in Minna, explained that the convicts were involved in a communal clash between Gaba and Amfani communities in Lavun Local Council, which led to the loss of lives.

Barrister Mu’azu stated that the pardon was granted in accordance with the constitutional powers of the governor and was based on a written request reviewed by the State Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

He added that the decision was part of broader reconciliatory efforts aimed at restoring lasting peace in both communities.

“The pardon was signed on May 28, 2025, and has been officially gazetted,” Mu’azu said.

The eleven pardoned convicts are Mohammed Mohammed, Ndana Alhaji Sheshi, Isah Baba Madu, Mohammed Mohammed Nda Bida, Abubakar Baba Salihu, Baba Mohammed Shaba, Adamu Mohammed Baba, Haruna Muhammed, Isah Mohammed Alhaji Inuwa, Ibrahim Mohammed, and Mohammed Isah.

The Gaba Development Association insists that justice must prevail to prevent further erosion of public confidence in the rule of law and to ensure peace in the region.