The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly criticised the presidential pardon granted to his wife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his murder.
In a statement on Monday, the family described the decision as the worst possible injustice any family could be subjected to.
They said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inclusion of Sanda among the 175 inmates recently pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy policy had reopened deep wounds that had barely begun to heal.
“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 partly read.
The family recalled that Sanda, who was convicted by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, for the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of her husband, had shown “no remorse even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga.”
They added that the judgment was upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and later affirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023, which provided the family with some sense of closure after justice was served.
“Satisfied that justice had finally been served, the judgment provided some closure of sorts in the circumstance, if ever there could be one. Although the perpetrator had shown no remorse, even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga, the grieving family took solace in the judgments and moved on, having painfully come to terms with the fate that life had thrust upon one of our own.
“This latest turn of events, coming just a few years after the dastardly crime that cruelly cut short Bilyaminu’s life, has, however, expectedly reopened our healing wounds.”
The family expressed deep disappointment that, despite the gravity of the crime and the thorough judicial process, the Federal Government chose to extend clemency to Sanda, allegedly after “appeals from her family.”
“We interpret this decision as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by way of extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer.
“At the same time, it conveniently ignored the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s grieving family, friends and associates,” the family stated.
They further accused the government of undermining the judicial process and disregarding the emotions of the deceased’s loved ones, saying the decision had dehumanised their son and reduced him to a mere statistic.
“We are compelled to issue this formal statement to humanise Bilyaminu, who is now suddenly being made to appear as if he is just another faceless anonymous individual in the long line of victims of crimes in the country,” the statement read.
Faulting the grounds of appeal for Sanda’s release, the family noted that she had deprived her own children of their father’s love and care.
The family said, “The alleged grounds for Maryam Sanda’s release were predicated on appeals from her family, amongst other considerations. It is pertinent to stress that Bilyaminu was also our cherished family member who was profoundly loved and deeply mourned by his teeming relations, friends and close associates following the unfortunate incident that resulted in his gruesome murder eight years ago. 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 mean.”
The family said they were deeply hurt by the pardon granted to Sanda.
“We take solace in the simple fact that in such matters, the ultimate comprehensive justice resides purely with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense,” the family said.
President Tinubu recently approved the release of 175 inmates serving various jail terms across the country under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which empowers the President to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Sanda was one of those pardoned. She was convicted in 2020 after being found guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death at their Abuja home on November 19, 2017.
