Maryam Sanda, a house wife who was once sentenced to death for the tragic murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has received a presidential pardon from President Bola Tinubu after spending nearly seven years in custody at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Saturday, noted that Sanda’s family had made pleas for her release, emphasizing 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,” said Onanuga.
Sanda, aged 37, is part of the 175 individuals, both Nigerian citizens and foreigners, who received clemency from President Tinubu on recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Attorney-General and Justice Minister Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi.
Maryam Sanda’s case dates back to November 19, 2017, when she stabbed her husband, the son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Haliru Bello, to death.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court in Abuja found her guilty and sentenced her to death by hanging on January 27, 2020.
The judge stated, “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.”
In response to her conviction, Sanda’s legal team filed an appeal on various grounds, questioning the evidence and accusing the court of bias.
However, Justice Stephen Adah of the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal on December 3, 2020, upholding both the conviction and the death sentence.
“The circumstances surrounding the death can be the best proof of what is being alleged,” Justice Adah said.
The Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy recommended pardon for two inmates and 15 former convicts, clemency for 82 inmates, and commutation of sentences for 65 inmates.
Seven inmates on death row also benefited from the presidential reprieve, with their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
The pardons also included posthumous recognition for prominent historical figures, including nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay and the Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro Wiwa, which were deemed historic injustices.
