The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Nigeria Office, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider granting a conditional presidential pardon to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, citing national security imperatives.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by the IHRC’s Head of Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, H.E. Ambassador (Dr.) Duru Hezekiah, the commission noted that the rising tide of insecurity—including terrorism, kidnapping, and organised crime—necessitates bold and strategic interventions.

The commission called for a national dialogue to weigh public and stakeholder sentiments on the possibility of offering a strategic and conditional clemency to Kyari, who was once lauded as Nigeria’s most celebrated anti-crime officer before his suspension and ongoing trial for alleged involvement in a cocaine deal.

“We reaffirm our respect for the ongoing judicial processes. This call is not intended to influence the court’s decision but to raise a national security conversation rooted in constitutional and strategic reasoning,” the statement read.

The IHRC cited Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to grant pard