Tinubu Grants Presidential Pardon to Maryam Sanda, Convicted for Husband’s Murder

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted state pardon to Mrs. Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Haliru Bello.

Sanda, who was arrested in November 2017 and sentenced to death by the Federal High Court in Abuja in January 2020, had spent more than six years in prison before her name appeared on the latest presidential clemency list.

The presidential pardon was announced on Saturday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, in a statement made available to the press.

According to Onanuga, Sanda was among 175 convicts and former convicts granted clemency by President Tinubu. The list also included individuals convicted for various offences such as illegal mining, white-collar crimes, and drug-related offences.

“Those granted pardon include Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, and capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight,” Onanuga stated.

He explained that the decision followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, which considered factors such as old age, good conduct, and remorse during incarceration.

“Some inmates were pardoned due to their advanced age, acquisition of vocational skills, or enrolment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),” he added.

Onanuga further noted that President Tinubu’s gesture was also aimed at correcting historical injustices, citing the posthumous pardon of Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, who was convicted in 1913 for alleged corrupt practices.

The latest wave of presidential pardons, observers say, reflects the administration’s effort to promote justice reform and reconciliation, while also offering second chances to those who have demonstrated genuine repentance.