Bilyaminu’s Family Condemns Tinubu’s Pardon to Killer Wife, Maryam Sanda — Calls It “The Worst Injustice”
The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted for the murder of her husband in 2017.
In a statement released on Monday, the family described the presidential clemency as “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through for a loved one.”
Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging in January 2020 after the FCT High Court found her guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death during a domestic dispute in Abuja. Her conviction was later upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in 2023.
The family lamented that the pardon not only “reopened painful wounds” but also “made a mockery of the Nigerian justice system,” stressing that all legal avenues had already affirmed her guilt.
They alleged that the decision was influenced by emotional appeals over Sanda’s children, arguing that mercy should not override justice, especially for a crime as grievous as murder.
“She showed no remorse even for a fleeting moment, and now she walks free while our son lies in his grave,” the family said.
The development has stirred widespread debate in Abuja and across Nigeria, with many citizens questioning the criteria used in Tinubu’s list of 175 pardoned individuals under the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy.
While the presidency is yet to respond to public criticism, rights advocates and legal experts have called for clearer guidelines to ensure presidential pardons do not undermine judicial integrity.
