The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has condemned the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his murder, describing the move as “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through.”
In a statement issued on Monday by Dr. Bello Mohammed on behalf of the family, they expressed deep disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s decision to include Sanda among the 175 inmates recently freed under the Prerogative of Mercy policy.
According to the family, the decision has “reopened painful wounds that had barely healed” since the gruesome murder of their son in 2017.
“To have Maryam Sanda walk the face of the earth again, free from any blemish for her heinous crime as if she had merely squashed an ant, is the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through,” the statement read.
‘No Remorse Shown’
The family recalled that Sanda was convicted by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, for the “premeditated and cold-blooded” killing of her husband and that the judgment was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in 2020 and 2023, respectively.
They said the verdicts had provided “some closure” after years of trauma, noting that Sanda had shown no sign of remorse throughout the legal proceedings.
“Although the perpetrator had shown no remorse, even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga, the grieving family took solace in the judgments and moved on,” the family said.
“This latest turn of events has, however, reopened our healing wounds.”
‘Pardon Undermines the Judiciary’
The Bello family accused the Federal Government of undermining the judiciary and disregarding the pain of the victim’s relatives, arguing that the clemency was granted primarily to “appease” Sanda’s family.
“We interpret this decision as driven by the sole motivation to please Maryam’s family members while ignoring the pain inflicted on Bilyaminu’s grieving family and friends,” the statement added.
They said the action had “dehumanised” their late son and reduced him to a mere statistic in Nigeria’s long list of crime victims.
The family also dismissed the humanitarian grounds cited for her release, stressing that Sanda’s actions had deprived her own children of their father’s love and care.
“The same children now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release were denied the opportunity to know what a father’s love means,” the family said.
‘We Leave Judgment to God’
Despite their pain, the family said they were taking solace in divine justice.
“We take solace in the simple fact that the ultimate comprehensive justice resides with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense,” they stated.
President Tinubu had last week approved the release of 175 inmates across Nigeria under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which allows the president to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Sanda, convicted in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017, was among those pardoned.
![[BREAKING NEWS]:Nigerians In Trouble As Leaked Documents Reveals Tinubu’s Agreement with Controversial Business Tycoon](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39gfKFg8aZ2Pq_eoxzYPY7vQoQB4vJQ5iXjbzlb028e9rhOqJn7LU834VyPOGJO6KMqyY25tdbE8_AbZYrvJ2A-MPe77GnAXXTxKlCpcHy3Xmrpk5voaOwmC_bUYUoWrh8i8Vya7_odsgKRhByqzF7mVi_H-AQTn3iV_Yo1GkZhLibfcuztuBuz3XE4xS/w680/IMG_9371.jpeg)
