The family of the late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello, who was murdered by his wife, Maryam Sanda, in 2017, has expressed deep outrage and anguish over her recent release under President Bola Tinubu’s presidential pardon, describing the decision as “a cruel reopening of old wounds.”
In a statement signed by Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, OFR (Dangaladiman Gwandu), on behalf of the family, the Bellos said the President’s decision to free Sanda — who was convicted and sentenced to death by the FCT High Court in 2020, a judgment later upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court — amounts to “the worst possible injustice any family could suffer.”
“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 statement read.
The family noted that it had chosen to remain silent since the incident of November 19, 2017, despite “sponsored falsehoods” from Sanda’s camp, placing their faith in the judiciary to deliver justice.
It recalled that both appellate courts reaffirmed the death sentence — on December 4, 2020, and October 27, 2023, respectively — giving the family a sense of closure after years of grief.
“Although the perpetrator showed 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,” the statement added.
Describing the pardon as an attempt to “appease the convict’s family,” the Bellos accused the government of ignoring the pain of the victim’s loved ones, warning that the action had “reopened deep wounds and eroded faith in justice.”
“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 means,” the family said.
They, however, expressed faith that ultimate justice lies with God, praying for the eternal rest of Bilyaminu’s soul and for divine protection over his children.
“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,” the statement concluded.
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