By Adesina Soyooye
Death row convict, Maryam Sanda, has been granted Presidential pardon by President Bola Tinubu.
The young mother of two, who shocked Nigerians by killing her equally young husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of a former Minister, was among the scores granted clemency by President Tinubu during the Council of State’s meeting on October 9, 2025, presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Deservedly sentenced to death in 2020 after the heinous crime, she served only six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre before mother-luck came her way.
Explaining in a statement on Saturday, October 11, 2025, why Sanda was granted pardon, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy said: “Her family pleaded for her release, arguing that it was in the best interest of her two children. The plea was, also, anchored on her good conduct in jail, her remorse, and her
embracement of a new lifestyle, demonstrating her commitment to being a model prisoner.”
Maryam Sanda was convicted to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, by the Honourable Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal High Court Abuja for fatally stabbing her husband to death at their Abuja home.
Said Justice Halilu while convicting her: “She should reap what she has sown for it has been said that ‘thou shall not kill. And whoever kills in cold blood deserves death as his own reward.
But Sanda appealed her conviction on 20 grounds alleging, among other things, bias.
However, on December 3, 2020, the Court of Appeal threw out her appeal and sustained the judgment of the lower Court. Since then, she has been on death row at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, Mr. President set her free based on the recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee which has as Chairman, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
There has been no reaction, yet, from her murdered husband’s family.
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