Esther Salifu
The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly criticised the decision of President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for Bello’s murder in 2020.
In a statement issued on Monday, the family described the pardon as “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through,” saying the move had reopened painful wounds that had only just begun to heal.
Dr. Bello Mohammed, speaking on behalf of the family, said the inclusion of Sanda among the 175 inmates recently released under the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy had deeply hurt the family’s sense of justice.
“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,”the statement read in part.
The family recalled that Sanda’s conviction initially handed down by an FCT High Court on January 27, 2020 was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court in October 2023.
They said those rulings had provided a sense of closure, however limited, following years of grief and legal battles.
“Satisfied that justice had finally been served, the judgment provided some closure. Although the perpetrator showed no remorse throughout the saga, the grieving family took solace in the judgments and moved on,”
the statement added.
However, they said the recent clemency had “expectedly reopened healing wounds,” questioning the moral and judicial justification for the pardon.
The family expressed disappointment that, despite the gruesome nature of the crime, the Federal Government extended mercy to Sanda allegedly following pleas from her relatives.
“We interpret this decision as primarily driven by the motivation to appease Maryam’s family members, while completely ignoring the pain inflicted on the victim’s loved ones,”they said.
According to the statement, the pardon not only undermines the judicial process but also dehumanises the late Bello by reducing his murder to a statistic.
“We are compelled to issue this statement to humanise Bilyaminu, who is suddenly being made to appear as if he is just another faceless victim of crime, the family noted.
The Bellos further faulted the reported grounds for Sanda’s release, which were said to include humanitarian considerations and appeals based on her role as a mother.
They argued that Sanda had deprived her own children of their father’s love, making such an appeal morally hollow.
“Maryam, let’s not forget, had denied the same children now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release the opportunity to know a father’s love and care,”the family said.
Despite their disappointment, the family said they had chosen to take solace in divine justice.
“We take solace in the simple fact that in such matters, the ultimate justice resides purely with the Supreme Judge, our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense.”
President Tinubu, last week, approved the release of 175 inmates under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which allows for clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Sanda, who was convicted of stabbing her husband to death at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017, was among those pardoned.
