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Summary
Maryam Sanda has been granted a presidential pardon by President Bola Tinubu, convicted in 2020 for the murder of her husband, following recommendations citing good conduct and her children’s welfare.
Maryam Sanda, a Nigerian woman who was imprisoned for almost six years for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in 2020, has been granted a presidential pardon in October 2025 by President Bola Tinubu.
In November 2017, Sanda was arrested for the stabbing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, the son of a former national chairperson of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), at their residence in Abuja. The murder reportedly stemmed from a domestic dispute over alleged infidelity.
Following a long trial, an Abuja High Court found Sanda guilty of culpable homicide on January 27, 2020 and sentenced her to death by hanging.
After her conviction, Sanda’s legal team filed an appeal on 20 grounds, questioning the evidence and alleging bias, but the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal on December 3, 2020, affirming the conviction and death sentence.
On October 11th 2025, President Bola Tinubu included Maryam Sanda in a list of 175 convicts and former convicts granted clemency or a reduced sentence.
In a statement released on October 11, 2025, by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said, “Her family pleaded for her release, arguing that it was in the best interest of her two children. The plea was also anchored on her good conduct in jail, her remorse, and her embracement of a new lifestyle, demonstrating her commitment to being a model prisoner.”
According to the presidency, the decision was based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The factors cited included Sanda’s reported good conduct, remorse, and the best interests of her two children.