Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has been granted a presidential pardon by President Bola Tinubu after spending six years and eight months in the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.
In a statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency noted that Sanda’s family advocated for her release, emphasizing the best interests of her two children. The plea cited her good conduct in prison, her remorse, and her commitment to rehabilitation as reasons for the pardon.
This decision is part of a broader clemency initiative by President Tinubu, which includes 175 Nigerians and foreigners, featuring prominent figures like the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and Major General Mamman Vatsa. The presidency described this as one of the most extensive uses of the presidential prerogative of mercy, addressing high-profile historical cases.
The pardon followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Sanda’s case captured public attention when Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court convicted her and sentenced her to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, after ruling that she had fatally stabbed her husband at their home. Following her conviction, Sanda’s legal team appealed the decision on multiple grounds, alleging bias and questioning the evidence. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal on December 3, 2020, upholding the conviction and death sentence.
The presidential pardon list released on Saturday categorizes pardoned individuals, posthumous pardons, victims honored, clemency beneficiaries, inmates recommended for reduced terms, and those on death row whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
