The presidential pardon of Bilyaminu Bello’s wife, Maryam Sanda, who was found guilty and given the death penalty for his murder, has been denounced by his family.
“The worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through” is how they characterised the transfer.
President Bola Tinubu’s decision to include Sanda among the 175 prisoners recently pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy principle, according to a statement released on Monday by Dr. Bello Mohammed on behalf of the family, has reopened deep wounds that had just begun to heal.
The statement partially stated, “The worst injustice any family could be made to endure for a loved one is 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.”
The family pointed out that Sanda had demonstrated “no remorse even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga” after being found guilty by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, of the cold-blooded and premeditated murder of her husband.
The family had found some peace after justice was given, they recalled, after the court’s ruling was reaffirmed by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and then confirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023.
The ruling brought some closure to the situation, if there ever could be any, and satisfied that justice had finally been done.
“The bereaved family found comfort in the verdicts and moved on, having bitterly accepted the fate that life had thrown upon one of our own, even if the offender had not expressed regret, not even for a brief minute, throughout the story.
“However, this most recent development has naturally reopened our healing wounds, coming only a few years after the heinous crime that brutally ended Bilyaminu’s life.”
The family was quite disappointed that the Federal Government decided to grant Sanda mercy, reportedly in response to “appeals from her family,” in spite of the seriousness of the offence and the drawn-out legal proceedings.
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. “We interpret this decision as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer,” the family continued.
The family also claimed that the ruling had dehumanised their son and turned him into a simple statistic, accusing the government of undermining the legal system and ignoring the sentiments of the departed’s loved ones.
In order to humanise Bilyaminu, who is now abruptly being made to appear as if he is simply another nameless, faceless person in the long line of victims of crimes in the nation, we are forced to release this formal declaration, the statement said.
The family contested Sanda’s grounds of appeal, claiming that she had denied her own children their father’s affection and attention.
“Among other factors, the alleged grounds for Maryam Sanda’s release were based on her family’s appeals,” the family stated.
It is important to emphasise that, in addition to being a beloved family member, Bilyaminu was also a highly loved and grieved member of his numerous relatives, friends, and close associates after the tragic event that led to his horrific murder eight years ago.
“Remember that Maryam had previously denied the same kids who are now used to garner sympathy and get her release the chance to understand what a father’s love and care mean.”
According to the family, Sanda’s pardon has caused them great pain.
This recent development has caused great pain to Biyaminu’s family, which we understand to be primarily motivated by the desire to please Maryam’s family members by showing mercy to a certified convicted murderer, while conveniently ignoring or ignoring the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s hordes of grieving family members, friends, and associates as a result of the action.
The family stated, “We find comfort in the fact that in such cases, the ultimate comprehensive justice rests solely with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense.”
Under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which permits the President to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds, President Bola Tinubu last week authorised the release of 175 prisoners serving varying imprisonment terms around the nation.
Among those pardoned was Sanda.
After being found guilty of fatally stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017, she was convicted in 2020.
