The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello opposed the presidential pardon of his wife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his murder.
They called the move “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through.”
In a statement issued on Monday, Dr. Bello Mohammed, on behalf of the family, stated that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to include Sanda among the 175 inmates recently pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy principle had reopened terrible wounds that had hardly healed.
“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 stated 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 demonstrated “no remorse even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga.”
They recounted that the court’s decision was supported by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and later affirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023, claiming that the family had found some peace once justice was done.
“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, not 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 significant regret that, despite the gravity of the crime and the meticulous judicial process, the federal government chose to grant Sanda mercy, purportedly due to “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 added.
The family also accused the government of undermining the judicial process and disregarding the feelings of the deceased’s loved ones, saying the decision had dehumanized their son and reduced him to a mere statistic.
“We are compelled to issue this formal statement to humanize 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 stated.
Condemning the grounds of appeal for Sanda, the family said 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 also stated that they are 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.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu granted the release of 175 inmates serving varying jail terms around the country under the Prerogative of Mercy policy, which permits the president to grant mercy for humanitarian reasons.
Sanda was among those pardoned. She was convicted in 2020 after being found guilty of fatally stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, on November 19, 2017, at their Abuja residence.
