Tinubu Pardons Maryam Sanda, Freed from Death Row

President Bola Tinubu has granted a Presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, the woman sentenced to death for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in 2017.

Sanda, who had been on death row since 2020, was among several inmates recently granted clemency by the Federal Government following recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.

The approval reportedly came after a detailed review of inmates’ conduct and time served.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court had sentenced Sanda to death by hanging in January 2020 after finding her guilty of stabbing her husband, the son of former PDP National Chairman, Haliru Bello to death during a domestic dispute at their Maitama residence.

Although Sanda maintained that her husband’s death was accidental, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court upheld the conviction, dismissing her pleas for leniency.

Her case drew National attention, sparking heated debates on domestic violence, justice delivery, and gender dynamics in Nigeria.

Sources within the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed to Global Mirror News that Sanda’s name appeared on the official list of pardoned inmates and that she has been released from the custodial facility after completing all clearance processes.

A Senior Prison Official, who requested anonymity, said her release followed due process and was “strictly based on the President’s constitutional powers to grant mercy.”

As of press time, neither the Presidency nor the Ministry of Justice had given a detailed explanation for her inclusion in the pardon list.

However, the development has already stirred mixed public reactions across the Country.

Maryam Sanda’s release brings an end to one of Nigeria’s most sensational murder cases in recent history, one that reshaped public discourse on domestic violence and justice.