‘Our Wounds Reopened’, Late Bello’s Family Slams State Pardon For Their Son’s Killer Maryam Sanda

The family of the late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello, who was murdered by his wife, Maryam Sanda, in 2017, has condemned the presidential pardon granted to her by President Bola Tinubu, describing it as a “cruel blow that has reopened old wounds.”

In a statement signed by Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, the family said the decision had “erased the justice painstakingly secured through years of legal battle” and dealt a devastating setback to their healing process.

“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 recalled that they had chosen “silence and dignity” since the tragic killing on Sunday, November 19, 2017, relying on Nigeria’s judicial system to deliver justice.

Their faith, they noted, was vindicated when the FCT High Court convicted and sentenced Sanda to death on January 27, 2020, a verdict subsequently upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

“Satisfied that justice had finally been served, the judgment provided some closure of sorts in the circumstance, if ever there could be one,” the family stated.

They said although Sanda had “shown no remorse throughout the saga,” they had taken solace in the court’s rulings and tried to move on, until news of the presidential pardon shattered that fragile peace.

“The pardon, which was among 175 granted to convicted persons including some on death row, has rendered the justice system hollow,” the statement added.

Describing the decision as “selective mercy,” the family alleged that it was motivated by “political or sentimental appeals” from Sanda’s family, while completely ignoring the deep trauma and anguish inflicted on the victim’s loved ones.

They reminded the public that the late Bilyaminu was “not just another faceless statistic,” but a beloved son, brother, and father whose life was “brutally cut short in his prime.”

The family also accused Sanda’s supporters of attempting to rewrite history and manipulate public sentiment through emotional appeals involving the couple’s children.

“Maryam, let’s not forget, 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 means,” the statement noted.

Despite their anguish, the family reaffirmed their faith in divine justice, expressing confidence that “ultimate justice rests with the Supreme Judge and Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense.”

“May Allah grant the soul of our dear Bilyaminu eternal rest and grant us the fortitude to bear his sad loss even in the light of this latest development,” Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed concluded.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy had on Thursday submitted the list of beneficiaries of the State Pardon to the Council of State for ratification, sparking widespread public outrage and debate over the exercise of executive clemency in cases involvin capital and drug offences.