October 11, 2025-Published by Cyril

Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has been granted a presidential pardon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after spending six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.

The announcement was made on Saturday through a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to the statement, the pardon followed pleas from Sanda’s family, who appealed for her release on compassionate grounds, citing her remorse, good conduct, and commitment to a reformed lifestyle.

NAIJABLOGDAILY.COM

• “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,” the statement read.

The clemency forms part of a wider exercise in which President Tinubu extended mercy to 175 Nigerians and foreigners, including posthumous pardons for the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and other members of the Ogoni Nine.

Onanuga described the move as “one of the most expansive uses of the presidential prerogative of mercy,” affecting both historic and contemporary cases.

The decision came after recommendations by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

Sanda’s case first gained national attention when Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court convicted and sentenced her to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, ruling that she had fatally stabbed her husband at their Abuja residence.

• “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,” Justice Halilu had declared.

Her legal team filed an appeal challenging the verdict on 20 grounds, but the Court of Appeal dismissed it on December 3, 2020, upholding the conviction and sentence.

Justice Stephen Adah, in affirming the lower court’s decision, stated that the circumstances of the crime provided clear proof of guilt.

Following the appeal, the Police urged the Supreme Court to maintain the death sentence, insisting the case had been fairly handled at all judicial levels.

HEED: Follow us on Instagram or any other social media platform and get the most reliable news directly in your favourite app!

“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,” said Police counsel James Idachaba at the time.

The latest presidential pardon list is divided into six categories, including:

• Full pardons,
• Posthumous pardons (such as the Ogoni Nine),
• Clemency beneficiaries,
• Sentence reductions,
• Death row inmates whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, and
• Victims honoured posthumously.

NaijaBlogDaily# is visible on all social media platforms, bringing you the latest Nigerian news on politics, economy, entertainment, and celebrity updates. Including sports across Nigeria and beyond…

Keep visiting and following up with us on any social media platform you are using to keep you updated 💯
Remember (information brings knowledge and power).
STAY TUNED!!!