Esther Imonmion
The family of the late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello has condemned the October 11, 2025 presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her husband.
Sanda was convicted by an FCT High Court in Zuba on January 27, 2020, for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute in their Abuja home on November 19, 2017. Her conviction and death sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2020 and later affirmed by the Supreme Court in October 2023.
After spending about six years and eight months in custody at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, Sanda was among 175 convicts granted clemency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy. The decision followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy and approval by the Council of State.
The Bello family described the pardon as “the worst possible injustice,” saying it had reopened painful wounds and undermined the final judgments delivered by the nation’s courts. They also alleged that Sanda never showed genuine remorse during her trial and appeals, questioning the grounds for her inclusion on the pardon list.
As of press time, the Nigerian Correctional Service said it had not yet received official communication authorising her release.