Tinubu Offers Presidential Clemency to Maryam Sanda After Six Years Behind Bars

Table of Contents

• Clemency Granted
• Background of the Case
• Advisory Committee's Recommendation
• Family's Plea
• Broader Efforts for Justice Reform

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted clemency to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Sanda, now 37 years old, had spent six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre before being released under the President’s national pardon initiative.

As stated by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the clemency was granted based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, which is chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The committee noted that “Sanda exhibited good behavior, deep remorse, and significant personal transformation during her incarceration, describing her as a model inmate who has genuinely repented.”

“Her family also appealed for her release, emphasizing her rehabilitation efforts and the necessity of caring for her two children.”

Sanda’s pardon was among 175 granted by President Tinubu, which also included posthumous pardons for notable figures such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Professor Magaji Garba, as part of the government's commitment to fostering national unity and reforming the justice system.