By Prosper Mene
In a response to widespread public outrage, President Bola Tinubu has revoked the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, a woman convicted of killing her husband.
Sanda, who faced a death sentence, will now serve a total of 12 years in prison, meaning she has about six more years left to complete her term.The decision came just days after the initial pardon list sparked fierce criticism across Nigeria.
Maryam Sanda, 37, was sentenced to death by hanging in January 2020 by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. She was found guilty of culpable homicide in the 2017 stabbing death of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Haliru Bello. The case drew national attention due to its tragic details and the high-profile family involved. Sanda has been held at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre since her conviction, where she has spent six years and eight months so far.
The controversy began earlier this month when President Tinubu approved clemency for 175 convicts, including Sanda, on the advice of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. Her family had appealed for mercy, citing her good behavior in prison, remorse, and the needs of her two young children. The pardon was seen as a compassionate act, but it quickly ignited a firestorm of anger from victims’ families, opposition leaders, and ordinary Nigerians who viewed it as a slap in the face to justice.
Public reaction was swift and intense. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the pardons, calling them a “grave setback to Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign” and an “affront to justice,” especially since the list included people convicted of drug trafficking and other serious crimes. The African Democratic Congress and human rights groups, like the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law, also slammed the decision as a “mockery of justice.”6040e7 Social media exploded with hashtags and posts demanding accountability, with many arguing that freeing a convicted murderer undermined trust in the legal system.
Facing the mounting pressure, President Tinubu acted quickly. On Wednesday, October 29, an official gazette announced the reversal, signed off by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Sanda’s full pardon was scrapped, and her sentence was commuted to 12 years instead, based on “compassionate grounds” like her role as a mother and model prisoner behavior. The updated list also removed 68 other names tied to crimes such as kidnapping, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal arms possession. Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi confirmed the changes followed consultations with the Council of State.
In a statement, the presidency thanked Nigerians for their “constructive feedback” and stressed the administration’s dedication to fair justice reforms.bf7075 To prevent future missteps, Tinubu ordered the Advisory Committee’s secretariat moved from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Ministry of Justice for better oversight. He also issued posthumous pardons to historical figures like environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and poet Mamman Jiya Vatsa, honoring their legacies without stirring controversy.
The reversal has brought some relief to critics, but questions linger about the pardon process. Bilyaminu Bello’s family, despite earlier forgiveness from the victim’s father, welcomed the tougher stance as a win for accountability. Women’s rights advocates praised the balance of mercy and punishment, noting it protects Sanda’s children while honoring the victim’s memory.
