President Bola Tinubu has granted a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello.
Sanda, who has spent six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, was among 175 Nigerians and foreigners granted clemency by the President.
The development was announced on Saturday in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, Sanda’s release followed a formal appeal from her family, who cited her good conduct in prison, remorse, and the welfare of her two young children.
“Her family pleaded for her release, arguing that it was in the best interest of her children. The plea was also anchored on her rehabilitation, remorse, and positive conduct while in custody,” the statement read.
The pardon, Onanuga added, was part of a broader exercise involving the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Among other notable names on the list are the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and members of the “Ogoni Nine,” who received posthumous pardons.
“This represents one of the most extensive uses of the presidential prerogative of mercy in Nigeria’s history, addressing several long-standing cases,” the Presidency said.
Background
Maryam Sanda was convicted on January 27, 2020, by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court in Abuja, who found her guilty of stabbing her husband to death during a domestic dispute.
In his ruling, Justice Halilu had declared, “She should reap what she has sown, for it has been said, ‘thou shall not kill.’ Whoever kills in cold blood deserves death as his own reward.”
Her conviction was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 3, 2020, with Justice Stephen Adah affirming the death sentence. The Supreme Court was later petitioned to maintain the verdict.
Categories of Clemency
The Presidential pardon list was divided into six categories:
- Full pardons
- Posthumous pardons (including the Ogoni Nine)
- Clemency for inmates
- Sentence reductions
- Commutations of death sentences to life imprisonment
- Recognition of historical injustices
With her release, Maryam Sanda becomes one of the most prominent convicts in Nigeria’s recent history to benefit from executive clemency.
