Tinubu Grants Presidential Pardons to Maryam Sanda, Who Killed Her Husband in 2020
- President Bola Tinubu granted a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, after over six years in custody
- The Presidency said the decision followed recommendations from the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, citing Sanda’s good conduct, remorse, and family plea
- The pardon, part of Tinubu’s broad clemency list including Ken Saro-Wiwa and Mamman Vatsa, has drawn mixed reactions across Nigeria
President Bola Tinubu has granted a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of a former PDP Chairman, Haliru Bello.
Presidential mercy follows committee recommendation
Source: UGC
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 11, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency confirmed that Sanda was among 175 Nigerians and foreigners granted clemency under Tinubu’s extensive use of the presidential prerogative of mercy.
“Her family pleaded for her release, arguing that it was in the best interest of her two children.
“The plea was also anchored on her good conduct in jail, her remorse, and her embracement of a new lifestyle, demonstrating her commitment to being a model prisoner," Onanuga stated.
The Presidency explained that the decision followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Onanuga: One of the most expansive pardons in history
According to the statement, the presidential pardon also extended posthumous clemency to the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and other members of the Ogoni Nine.
“This marked one of the most expansive uses of the presidential prerogative of mercy, touching on high-profile historical cases,” the statement read.
The pardon list, released on Saturday, was divided into six categories, including posthumous pardons, clemency beneficiaries, inmates recommended for reduced terms, and death row inmates whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
Background of the Maryam Sanda case
Maryam Sanda’s case gained nationwide attention after Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court, Abuja, convicted and sentenced her to death by hanging on 27 January 2020 for fatally stabbing her husband.
At the time, Justice Halilu declared:
“She should reap what she has sown, for it has been said that ‘thou shall not kill,’ and whoever kills in cold blood deserves death as his own reward.”
Following her conviction, Sanda’s legal team filed an appeal on 20 grounds, alleging bias and insufficient evidence.
However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on 3 December 2020, affirming both the conviction and the death sentence.
Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the appellate judgment, stated:
“The circumstances surrounding the death can be the best proof of what is being alleged.”
Police reaction and final resolution
Police counsel James Idachaba had earlier expressed satisfaction with the findings of both the trial and appellate courts, insisting that justice had been duly served.
“We are satisfied with the findings of the trial and appeals court, and we are prepared to defend the law’s position at the Supreme Court,” he said.
After spending six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, Sanda now walks free following the presidential pardon, one that has stirred mixed reactions among Nigerians.
Source: Legit.ng
