President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential clemency to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute in Abuja.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the decision on Saturday, explaining that it followed appeals from Sanda’s family and reports of her good conduct, remorse, and rehabilitation while in custody.
Now 37 years old, Sanda had spent six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre before her release. Her family reportedly pleaded for mercy, citing the welfare of her two young children.
Sanda was convicted by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court, who found her guilty of culpable homicide for fatally stabbing Bello — son of former PDP chairman Haliru Bello — in 2017. The court ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced her to death by hanging.
Her case drew national attention for years, characterized by multiple bail applications, emotional testimonies, and lengthy appeals. Sanda consistently maintained that her husband’s death was not premeditated but occurred during a heated argument.
According to Onanuga, Sanda was among 175 inmates and ex-convicts who benefited from the President’s clemency and sentence reduction initiative aimed at promoting rehabilitation and decongesting correctional facilities.
“President Tinubu granted clemency to most beneficiaries based on remorse, good behavior, and acquisition of vocational or educational skills,” Onanuga said, adding that some were pardoned on grounds of age, illness, or humanitarian considerations.
The list of beneficiaries also includes individuals convicted of illegal mining, drug-related offences, and white-collar crimes, as well as elderly inmates and posthumous cases such as Herbert Macaulay, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Mamman Vatsa.
Sanda’s release marks one of the most high-profile acts of presidential clemency in recent Nigerian history, sparking renewed debate about mercy, justice, and rehabilitation within the country’s correctional system.
