The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has condemned the presidential pardon granted to his wife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his murder.
Describing the decision as “the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through,” the family said the move had reopened painful wounds that had barely healed.
In a statement on Monday signed by Dr Bello Mohammed on behalf of the family, they expressed outrage that President Bola Tinubu included Sanda among the 175 inmates recently pardoned under the Prerogative of Mercy policy.
The statement reads, “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.”
The family recalled that Sanda was convicted on January 27, 2020, by the FCT High Court for the premeditated murder of her husband, a judgment upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 4, 2020, and affirmed by the Supreme Court on October 27, 2023.
They said the verdict had provided “some closure of sorts” despite her lack of remorse.
The family said, “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 judgments 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.”
The family faulted the grounds of clemency, insisting that the pardon appeared to be aimed at “appeasing Maryam’s family members.”
They lamented, “We interpret this decision as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by way of extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer.
“At the same time, it conveniently ignored the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s grieving family, friends and associates,”
They accused the Federal Government of undermining the judicial process and disregarding the feelings of the deceased’s loved ones, saying the action had dehumanised Bilyaminu and reduced him to a statistic.
Bilyaminu’s family further stated, “We are 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.”
The family also dismissed arguments that Sanda’s children needed her care, stressing that she had already denied them their father’s love.
The family said, “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 denied the same children now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release, the opportunity to know what a father’s love and care mean.”
While expressing deep hurt over the pardon, the family said they would take solace in divine justice.
The statement added, “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.”
Naijaonpoint understands that Maryam Sanda was convicted in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017. She was among the 175 inmates pardoned last week by President Tinubu under the Prerogative of Mercy policy.
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