Nigeria TV Info 
Slain Husband’s Family Condemns Tinubu’s Pardon for Maryam Sanda, Calls It ‘Injustice to the Dead’

The family of late Bilyaminu Bello has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017. The family described the clemency as a “painful betrayal of justice” and an “insult to the memory of the deceased.”

Speaking through a family representative, the Bellos said they were neither consulted nor informed before the pardon was announced, expressing dismay that a crime as grave as spousal murder could be treated with leniency.

They argued that the president’s action sends a dangerous message about accountability and gender-based violence in Nigeria. Rights groups have also joined in the condemnation, warning that such pardons could embolden domestic violence offenders.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has defended the decision, stating that Sanda met the criteria for mercy under the prerogative of mercy committee’s recommendations.

Maryam Sanda had been convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2020 after being found guilty of stabbing her husband to death during a domestic dispute in Abuja.