BREAKING: Tinubu Revokes Maryam Sanda’s Presidential Pardon, Reduces Death Sentence to 12 Years — The Bureau News Nigeria News Today
By Queen Madaki | The Bureau News
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revoked the presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman.
The Bureau News gathered that the decision followed widespread public backlash over the initial pardon, which many Nigerians described as insensitive and unjust. The president’s reversal was confirmed in an official gazette released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
New Sentence: 12 Years on Compassionate Grounds
According to the gazette, Sanda’s capital punishment has now been commuted to a 12-year prison term on compassionate grounds. She has already served six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State.
The reviewed sentence takes into account her years in custody and her reported record of good behaviour while incarcerated.
“After reviewing the circumstances surrounding the earlier pardon and the national outcry that followed, the president has approved a sentence reduction from death by hanging to 12 years’ imprisonment,” the document stated.
Public Reaction and Legal Context
The reversal comes amid renewed scrutiny of presidential clemency powers in Nigeria. Legal analysts told The Bureau News that while the Constitution empowers the president to grant pardons or commute sentences, such powers must be exercised transparently and in the interest of justice and public confidence.
Rights groups had earlier condemned the initial pardon, arguing that it undermined the rule of law and sent the wrong message to victims of domestic violence. The latest decision appears to strike a balance between compassion and accountability.
Background: The 2020 Murder Case
Maryam Sanda was convicted by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death during a domestic altercation in Abuja in 2017. Her conviction and death sentence drew national attention and sparked conversations about marital abuse and justice reform.
With the latest development, Sanda is expected to continue serving her new term at the Suleja custodial facility, subject to periodic review by correctional authorities.
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