The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned the presidential pardon granted to his wife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his murder, calling the decision “the worst possible injustice any family could endure.”
In a statement released on Monday, Dr. Bello Mohammed, speaking on behalf of the family, said President Bola Tinubu’s inclusion of Sanda among the 175 inmates recently pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy had reopened “painful wounds that had barely healed.”
“To have Maryam Sanda walk free again, untouched by the consequences of her heinous crime, is the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through for a loved one,” the statement read.
The family recalled that Sanda was convicted by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, for the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of her husband and that the conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and later affirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023. They said the judgments had provided some closure, despite Sanda showing “no remorse even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga.”
“This latest turn of events, coming just a few years after the dastardly crime that cruelly cut short Bilyaminu’s life, has, however, reopened our healing wounds,” the family said.
The statement criticized the Federal Government for granting clemency, allegedly following appeals from Sanda’s family, saying the move disregarded the grief of the victim’s loved ones.
“We interpret this decision as primarily motivated by appeasing Maryam’s family while conveniently ignoring the profound pain inflicted on Bilyaminu’s grieving family, friends, and associates,” the family added.
They accused the government of undermining the judicial process and dehumanizing their son, reducing him to “a mere statistic” rather than recognizing his life and legacy.
The family also noted that Sanda’s pardon ignored the suffering of her own children, who were deprived of their father’s love and care.
“The alleged grounds for Maryam Sanda’s release were predicated on appeals from her family, among other considerations. Yet Bilyaminu was also a cherished family member, profoundly loved and deeply mourned. Maryam had earlier denied their children the opportunity to know a father’s love, and now her release disregards the pain caused to them,” the statement said.
Despite their hurt, the family expressed faith in divine justice, saying, “We take solace in the fact that ultimate justice resides with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense.”
Sanda was among 175 inmates granted clemency last week under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which allows the President to release prisoners on humanitarian grounds. She was convicted in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death at their Abuja home on November 19, 2017.
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I knew it
It could be painful. So deep
As expected