According to a report by Leadership News, on Monday, October 13, 2025, the family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has expressed deep pain and disappointment over the recent presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted of killing their son in 2017.
According to the family, the decision by President Bola Tinubu to include Sanda in the list of pardoned convicts has reopened old wounds and undermined justice.
In a report by Leadership News, the Bello family condemned the decision, describing it as a betrayal of their trust in the Nigerian justice system.
Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death during a domestic dispute.
The family stated: “Our wounds have been reopened by this shocking and hurtful pardon. We thought justice had been served, but this decision tells us otherwise.”
They further questioned the rationale behind pardoning someone convicted of such a violent crime, warning that it sends a dangerous message to victims of domestic violence and their families.
Leadership News reported that Maryam Sanda was among the 175 individuals granted clemency by the president last Thursday, a move the government said was aimed at promoting national healing and reconciliation.
However, critics, including the Bello family, argue that such decisions erode the confidence of citizens in the justice system and diminish the gravity of violent crimes.
“We have tried to heal and move on, but this pardon feels like our pain has been dismissed,” the family added.
The late Bilyaminu Bello was the son of a former PDP chairman, Haliru Bello.
His death and the high-profile trial that followed had sparked nationwide conversations about domestic violence and justice in Nigeria.
The family’s statement has reignited public debate over the appropriateness of the presidential pardon list. See, More, Here>>>
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