A Human Rights Advocate and Legal Practitioner, Maxwell Opara has expressed deep concern over the criteria used in recommending certain individuals for presidential pardon, particularly in the case of Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her husband.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News from 3:46, Opara questioned the fairness and transparency of the pardon process, citing instances of other inmates who have languished in prison for decades without any consideration for clemency.
“In Suleja prison, a lady from the Southeast was convicted for manslaughter and she was sentenced to death for life, and she has spent over 25 years in that Suleja prison,” Opara said, emphasizing the injustice of selective mercy.
He noted that while some prisoners with long years of good conduct and reformation have been ignored, controversial cases such as that of Sanda have attracted attention and leniency. According to him, this raises serious questions about the criteria adopted by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
Opara described the development as a disturbing reflection of systemic bias and inequality in Nigeria’s justice system, where connections often outweigh compassion. He urged the government to publish the list of those recommended for pardon and make public the parameters used in granting clemency.
“The law should be blind to status, tribe, or gender,” he stressed, adding that the selective application of justice erodes public confidence in the rule of law. View, More,
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