The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned the decision of President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to his convicted wife and killer, Maryam Sanda.
The family described the act as “a grave miscarriage of justice” that has reopened wounds they had spent years trying to heal.
In a statement titled “When Prerogative of Mercy Inflicts Inexorable Pain” and signed by Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, the Dangaladiman Gwandu, the family expressed disbelief over the inclusion of Sanda in the list of 175 inmates recently pardoned by the President on October 11, 2025.
The presidency, in its announcement, justified the clemency by citing recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, which considered Sanda’s supposed remorse, reformation, and the need to reunite her with her children.
However, the Bello family argued that such reasoning disregards the gravity of the crime and the pain inflicted on their family. “To have Maryam Sanda walk free as though she had merely stepped on an ant is the worst possible injustice any family could endure,” the statement read.
The family recounted the gruesome killing of Bilyaminu on November 19, 2017, and noted that Sanda’s conviction was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, confirming the death sentence originally handed down by the FCT High Court.
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They stressed that Sanda never showed genuine remorse during her trial or imprisonment. “Although the perpetrator had shown no remorse even for a fleeting moment, the grieving family took solace in the judgment and tried to move on,” the statement continued.
They accused the federal authorities of prioritising political and emotional considerations over justice, arguing that the decision undermines Nigeria’s commitment to fighting domestic violence. “This latest turn of events has reopened our healing wounds and inflicted fresh pain,” the family lamented.
The statement further emphasised that Bilyaminu was not just a statistic in Nigeria’s long list of crime victims but “a cherished family member profoundly loved and deeply mourned.”
The family concluded by seeking solace in divine justice: “We take comfort in knowing that ultimate justice resides with Almighty Allah, who will judge all matters on the Day of Recompense.”
