The family of the late Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello has expressed deep pain and disappointment over the recent presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband in 2020.
In a statement signed by Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed (Dangaladiman Gwandu), on behalf of the Bello family, they described the pardon as a grave injustice and an affront to justice, following Sanda’s release under the Prerogative of Mercy exercised by the President.
The family recalled that the presidential clemency covered 175 convicted persons, including those on death row and others pardoned posthumously.
However, they said one name that painfully stood out was that of Sanda, who was sentenced to death by the FCT High Court on 27th January 2020 for the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of her husband, their beloved family member, the late Bilyaminu Bello.
“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.
“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.
“We are, therefore, 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: a mere statistical figure.
They lamented that Sanda now walks free as if she had merely squashed an ant, calling it the worst possible injustice any family could endure for a loved one.
They also pointed out that Sanda had previously deprived her children of the opportunity to experience a father’s love and care, questioning the moral basis for using the same children to justify her pardon.
The statement further described the act as “selective mercy,” saying that the government’s gesture appeared aimed at appeasing Sanda’s family while ignoring the continued grief of the victim’s relatives, friends, and associates.
Despite their heartbreak, the Bello family said they have trusted divine justice, expressing their belief that God will ultimately judge them.
They prayed for the repose of Bilyaminu’s soul and for strength to bear the pain of his loss, even in light of the new development.