President Bola Tinubu has granted clemency to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic altercation in Abuja.
The president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the decision on Saturday, confirming that Sanda, 37, had been released after spending six years and eight months in prison.
According to Onanuga, the pardon came following appeals from her family, who argued that her freedom would serve the best interests of her two children. He added that Sanda’s good behavior in custody and her show of remorse also played a key role in the president’s decision.
Sanda was convicted by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in January 2020 after Justice Yusuf Halilu found her guilty of stabbing her husband to death during a heated argument. The court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, was the son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Haliru Bello.
Sanda was first arraigned in November 2017 and later granted bail on health grounds in March 2018 after several failed applications. Her trial spanned over two years, marked by delays, adjournments, and multiple changes in legal representation.
She is among 175 inmates who benefited from President Tinubu’s latest round of pardons and sentence reductions.