By Gideon Njoku

“By granting Presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, convicted to death by hanging for killing her husband in cold blood, and has shown no remorse, you treated our son like an ant” – Bello’s Family to  President Tinubu”

The still grieving family of Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello has expressed outrage over the full Presidential Pardon granted his wife, Maryam Sanda, who killed him on Sunday, 19th November, 2017.

Recall that Maryam Sanda, had, on that tragic night, stabbed her husband to death. The young couple, both from high profile families, had two children.

For the heinous crime she committed,  Maryam Sanda was condemned to death by hanging.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court first condemned her to death on Monday, 27th January, 2020 for what it said was a premeditated cold-blooded murder. The death sentence was upheld by both the Appeal and Supreme Courts on December 4, 2020 and October 27, 2023, respectively.

Since then, Maryam Sanda has been on death row at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.

But on Thursday, October 9, 2025, President Bola Tinubu granted her Presidential Pardon. She was among the 175 people whose crimes were either pardoned fully, their death sentences commuted to jail terms, or their jail terms reduced.

In Maryam Sanda’s case, the Presidency said she was granted pardon because of her two young children, her remorsefulness, her being a model prisoner, and appeals by her family.

But in a statement dated Monday, October 13, signed on behalf of her murdered husband by Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, OFR, the family expressed outrage at the Presidential pardon and mocked the reasons given.

They said Maryam Sanda has shown no remorse since she killed her husband, and accused her of denying the children the love of their father. Instead, the statement said, Maryam Sanda’s family since her gruesome murder of her husband, had continued to sponsor write-ups “containing series of falsehoods against the deceased without factoring the children’s best interests.” It said they ignored those sponsored write-ups for the sake of the couple’s young children.

But now, the  statement noted, the pardon granted Maryam Sanda who “cruelly cut short Bilyaminu’s life has, however, expectedly reopened our healing wounds.”

Their lamentation: “To have Maryam Sanda walk the face of the earth, again, free from any blamish 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.”

Following, the full text of the statement by the murdered Bilyaminu Bello’s family.

When Prerogative of Mercy Inflicts Inexorable Pain

“In exercise of his discretionary power and authority to grant clemency under the Prerogative of Mercy principle, His Excellency, Mr. President recently granted Presidential pardons to a total of 175 convicted persons serving jail sentences for various criminal offences.

“Some of those on the list included individuals on death row, and others who were pardoned posthumously.

“One name that stood out for us as a family is that of Maryam Sanda, a lady convicted and sentenced to death by the FCT Hight Court on Monday, 27th January 2020, for the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of her husband and beloved family member of ours, the late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello.

“Considering the delicately sensitive nature of the situation involving two innocent children of the deceased victim, the family has deliberately refrained from making any public statement or comments since the unfortunate sad incident, which occurred on that fateful night of Sunday, 19th November 2017.

“This was despite several sponsored write-ups from the accused perpetrator’s camp containing series of falsehoods against the deceased, without factoring the children’s best interest.

“We, instead, placed our trust and abiding confidence in the nation’s judicial process to run its full course and deliver justice for the deceased victim and his family.

“The appeals process reaffirmed the FCT High Court’s death sentence through the Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judgements of Friday, 4th December 2020, and Friday, 27th October 2023, respectively.

“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 even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga, the grieving family took solace in the judgements 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.

“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.

“We are, therefore, compelled to issue this formal statement to humanise 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: a mere statistical figure.

“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 on denied the same children now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release, the opportunity to know what a father’s love and care means.

“Bilyaminu’s family is deeply hurt by this latest development, which we interpret as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by way of extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer, while at the same time overlooking or conveniently ignoring the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s teeming grieving family members, friends and associates arising from the action.

“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 where no one can be at liberty to intercede on behalf of anyone else.

“We beseech Almighty Allah SWT to grant the soul of our dear Bilyaminu eternal rest and grant us the fortitude to continue to bear his sad loss even in the light of this latest development. May Allah also Be there at every turn of his children’s needs and raise them to be good obedient Muslims and patriotic Nigerians, Ameen.

“SIGNED:

Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, OFR

(Dangaladiman Gwandu)

“For the Late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello’s Family.”