•••Says It Is ‘Worst Possible Injustice’
By Joy Yesufu
The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, describing the decision as “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to endure.”
In a statement on Monday, Dr. Bello Mohammed, speaking on behalf of the family, said the decision by President Bola Tinubu to include Sanda among the 175 inmates pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy had reopened deep wounds that had barely begun to heal.
“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 for a loved one,” the statement read.
The family noted that Sanda, who was convicted by an FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, for the “premeditated and cold-blooded murder” of her husband, had shown no remorse throughout the judicial process.
The conviction, they recalled, was upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and later affirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023, which gave them a measure of closure after years of emotional torment.
“Satisfied that justice had finally been served, we found some closure, if ever there could be one. Although the perpetrator never showed remorse, we took solace in the court’s judgment and painfully moved on,” the family said.
“This latest turn of events, however, has reopened our wounds.”
The family expressed disappointment that the Federal Government chose to extend clemency to a convicted murderer despite the gravity of the crime and the finality of the judicial process, alleging that the pardon was granted following “appeals from her family.”
“We interpret this decision as one primarily driven by a desire to appease Maryam’s family members, while completely ignoring the pain now inflicted on the victim’s loved ones,” the statement continued.
According to the family, the government’s action had undermined the sanctity of justice and reduced Bilyaminu’s life to “a mere statistic in the long list of victims of violent crime.”
“We are compelled to issue this statement to humanise Bilyaminu, who is now being made to appear as if he were just another faceless individual,” the family said.
They also faulted the grounds of appeal used to justify Sanda’s release, stressing that she had deprived her own children of their father’s love and guidance.
“Maryam had earlier denied the same children, now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release, the opportunity to know what a father’s love and care mean,” the family said.
While expressing deep pain over the development, the family said they would leave the matter to divine judgment.
“We take solace in the simple fact that in such matters, the ultimate and comprehensive justice resides purely with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense justice on the Day of Recompense,” they added.
President Tinubu, last week, approved the release of 175 inmates serving various jail terms across the country under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which allows the President to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Sanda, who was among those pardoned, was convicted in 2020 after being found guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017.
