Nigerians have taken to social media to react after reports emerged that President Bola Tinubu granted a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
Bello, the son of former PDP national chairman Haliru Bello, was killed in November 2017 at the couple’s residence in Abuja.
Following a lengthy trial, the Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu, found Sanda guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced her to death by hanging in January 2020.
A statement released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed that Sanda was among 175 inmates granted clemency.
According to Onanuga, the pardon followed the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
He explained that Sanda’s family appealed for her release on humanitarian grounds, citing the welfare of her two children, her remorseful conduct while in custody, and her positive behaviour at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, where she had spent six years and eight months before her release.
The list of pardoned inmates also included individuals convicted of illegal mining, drug-related offences, and financial crimes.
The announcement has since sparked mixed reactions across social media, with many Nigerians questioning the rationale behind the decision.
One X (Twitter) user wrote:
“Most of the people Tinubu pardoned are exactly the ones who should still be in prison. Maryam Sanda killed her husband, got a death sentence yet Tinubu set her free after just five years.”
Another user commented:
“This Maryam Sanda gist is a distraction. Her husband will get justice where there’s only one judge, and he’s just. Pardoning those drug dealers and Faruk Lawan tells a clear story.”
A third user added:
“Whatever reason might have been presented to justify the pardon could never have been enough to free a convicted murderer.”
While another wrote:
“Maryam Sanda, who stabbed her husband to death, has been granted clemency for the sake of her children. In conclusion, the husband died in vain.”
Many Nigerians also questioned the message the government is sending by freeing a convicted killer while others face harsher penalties for lesser crimes.
