The National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) has urged the Federal Government to review the recent presidential pardon list and withdraw clemency granted to convicted criminals.
NACOMYO made the call in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Sani Suleiman Maigoro, and National Secretary General, Alhaji Mas’ud Akintola.
The body also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to resume dialogue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avert what it described as “colossal damage” to the nation’s education sector.
The group expressed grave concern over recent national developments, which it said raise serious questions about Nigeria’s moral direction, governance priorities, and commitment to justice and the rule of law.
NACOMYO condemned the Federal Government’s perceived neglect of education and its decision to grant presidential pardon to individuals convicted of serious crimes — including drug traffickers, kidnappers (among them the notorious abductor of Chief Mike Ozekhome), and convicted murderer Maryam Sanda.
It said the two-week warning strike declared by ASUU over unfulfilled government agreements reflects deep-rooted problems in the sector and should not be ignored.
“The decision to release individuals convicted of heinous crimes under the guise of presidential clemency is deeply troubling and morally indefensible. While Islam encourages mercy and forgiveness, it does not condone the perversion of justice or the undermining of deterrence against capital offences,” the statement said.
The group stressed that pardoning convicted drug lords, kidnappers and murderers while many languish in prisons for lesser offences sends a dangerous signal that high crimes carry little consequence.
“Such misplaced mercy erodes public trust in leadership, discourages law enforcement officers, and emboldens criminal networks. Mercy without justice leads to moral chaos,” it warned.
NACOMYO called on the Federal Government to withdraw clemency for all violent and drug-related offenders to restore confidence in the justice system.
On the education crisis, the group said the ongoing ASUU strike reflects a pattern of neglect, poor prioritisation, and policy inconsistency.
“Every closure of Nigerian universities pushes students into despair and erodes the future of a generation. Islam accords the highest importance to knowledge and learning,” it noted, citing the first Quranic revelation, Iqra (Read), as evidence of education’s centrality.
NACOMYO condemned the chronic underfunding of universities and called on the government to honour its agreements with ASUU, improve lecturers’ welfare, and make education a national priority.
“A nation that shuts its classrooms opens the gates of poverty, ignorance, and insecurity,” the statement added.
The group also urged the National Assembly to exercise its oversight powers to review presidential pardons and ensure adequate funding for education.
It concluded by reaffirming its commitment to justice, morality, and nation-building:
“Nigeria stands at a moral crossroads. A nation cannot claim to be fighting insecurity while freeing those who perpetrate it, nor can it aspire to greatness while neglecting its institutions of learning. Only through justice, education, and sincere leadership can Nigeria achieve her divinely ordained greatness.”
