The family of a Nigerian man murdered by his wife has strongly condemned the presidential pardon granted to the killer, describing the move as “the worst possible injustice”.
The condemned woman, Maryam Sanda, was one of 175 inmates recently granted clemency by President Bola Tinubu under the Prerogative of Mercy principle. Ms. Sanda was convicted of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death in their Abuja home in 2017.
In a statement released on Monday, Dr. Bello Mohammed, speaking on behalf of the deceased’s family, stated that the presidential pardon had “reopened our healing wounds” and disregarded the painstaking judicial process.
Ms. Sanda’s conviction for premeditated murder was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2020 and subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2023, a process the family said had finally provided them with closure.
The family expressed deep disappointment that the Federal Government chose to extend clemency, allegedly based on “appeals from her family,” arguing that the decision appeared motivated solely by a desire to appease Ms. Sanda’s relatives.
“To have Maryam Sanda walk the face of the earth again, free from any blemish for her heinous crime… is the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through,” the statement read. The family also accused the government of undermining the judicial process and dehumanising the victim.
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