The family of the late Bilyaminu Bello has rejected the presidential clemency granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017.
President Bola Tinubu recently granted state pardon to 175 inmates under the Prerogative of Mercy initiative, with Sanda among those freed.
The decision has since sparked nationwide outrage, given the case’s strong symbolism for justice in domestic violence cases.
In a statement released on Monday by Bello Haliru Mohammed on behalf of the family, they described Tinubu’s action as “the worst possible injustice any family could face.”
According to the statement, the family said the pardon “reopened old wounds” and dishonoured the memory of their son.
“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 go through,” the family declared.
They also condemned what they called Sanda’s “total lack of remorse,” stating that the court’s earlier verdict had provided a small measure of closure.
“Although the perpetrator showed no remorse, the grieving family took solace in the court’s judgment and painfully moved on.
This latest decision has cruelly reopened those healing wounds,” the statement read.
The family accused the Federal Government of disregarding the judicial process and acting solely to appease Sanda’s relatives.
“We interpret this decision as an effort to satisfy Maryam’s family, while ignoring the deep and enduring pain inflicted on the victim’s family and friends,” they said.
The statement further criticised what it described as “emotional manipulation” used to secure Sanda’s freedom, recalling that she had denied her children the love of their father through her actions.
The family added that the government’s move reduced their son to “a mere statistic” rather than a human being whose life was brutally cut short.
“We issue this statement to humanise Bilyaminu, who is being made to appear as just another faceless victim.
He was a cherished family member, deeply loved and mourned,” they wrote.
Concluding, the Bello family said they now take solace only in divine justice, expressing faith that “the Supreme Judge will deliver ultimate justice on the Day of Recompense.”
The post Late Bilyaminu Bello’s Family Rejects Tinubu’s Clemency for Maryam Sanda first appeared on DDM.
