The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her husband in 2017.
In a statement issued on Monday by Dr. Bello Mohammed on behalf of the family, the decision to free Sanda was described as “a cruel reopening of old wounds and the worst form of injustice any grieving family could endure.”
President Tinubu had, last week, approved the release of 175 inmates across the country under the Prerogative of Mercy policy; a constitutional power that allows clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Among those pardoned was Maryam Sanda, who was convicted by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, for stabbing her husband to death in their Abuja home.
The court’s decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2020 and later affirmed by the Supreme Court in October 2023.
More Read
But Bilyaminu’s family said the presidential pardon had eroded the sense of closure they found after years of pain and court battles.
“To have Maryam Sanda walk the face of the earth again, free from any blemish for her heinous crime, as if she had merely squashed an ant, is the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through,” the statement read.
They accused the Federal Government of disregarding the judicial process and ignoring the suffering of the victim’s loved ones, adding that the decision was allegedly influenced by “appeals from Maryam’s family.”
“We interpret this decision as one driven solely to appease Maryam’s relatives, at the expense of justice and fairness. It conveniently ignored the deep pain now reawakened in Bilyaminu’s family and friends,” the family stated.
The statement further noted that Sanda showed “no sign of remorse” throughout her trial and after her conviction, describing her release as an insult to the memory of their son.
“Although we had painfully accepted the fate of our beloved Bilyaminu, this latest twist has reopened our wounds. It dehumanises our son and reduces him to just another statistic in Nigeria’s long list of murder victims,” they added.
The family also faulted the claim that Sanda’s release was based on compassion for her children, reminding the public that her actions had already deprived those children of a father’s love and care.
“Maryam, let’s not forget, denied these same children the chance to experience their father’s affection. Using them now as grounds for sympathy is a cruel irony,” the family lamented.
Despite their pain, the Bellos said they would leave ultimate justice to God.
“We take solace in the fact that the final and perfect justice rests with the Supreme Judge, who will dispense it on the Day of Recompense,” the statement concluded.
Sanda’s conviction had sparked nationwide attention in 2020 after the court found her guilty of murdering her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of a former PDP chairman, at their Maitama residence in Abuja.
The recent pardon has since stirred public outrage, with many Nigerians questioning the government’s commitment to justice and the sanctity of human life.
