President Tinubu Commutes Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Who Butchered Husband
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revised the list of individuals granted presidential pardon, removing Maryam Sanda—the woman convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello—from those receiving full release.
Instead, her death sentence has been commuted to 12 years’ imprisonment, with time already served taken into account. The decision, announced by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, followed consultations with the Council of State and was influenced by public feedback.
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Onanuga explained that President Tinubu exercised his constitutional powers under Section 175(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to ensure that the prerogative of mercy aligns with principles of justice and public interest.
Serious offenders convicted of crimes such as murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal firearms possession were excluded from full pardons, though some had their sentences reduced.
Maryam Sanda, now 37, has already spent about six years and eight months in custody at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja. Under the revised clemency, she will serve a total of 12 years, with the remaining term justified on compassionate grounds, including consideration for her children, her good conduct in prison, remorse, and demonstrated rehabilitation. This means she has roughly five years left before possible release.
The case dates back to November 19, 2017, when Sanda fatally stabbed her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute at their home in Maitama, Abuja. The altercation reportedly stemmed from an argument over alleged infidelity after she discovered a nude photo on Bello’s phone.
Witnesses, including family friend Ibrahim Mohammed, recounted that Sanda had demanded a divorce and even attempted to stab Bello earlier that evening. Bello, 35 at the time, sustained multiple stab wounds to his neck, chest, and genitals, inflicted with a broken bottle.
Sanda initially claimed that Bello’s death was accidental, saying he fell on a broken shisha pot during a struggle, but forensic evidence and post-mortem reports proved otherwise. She was arrested and charged with culpable homicide under Section 221 of the Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death sentence.
Bilyaminu Bello was a respected real estate developer and the son of Haliru Bello, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ex-Minister of Defence. He was also the nephew and adopted son of Haliru Mohammed Bello. His death drew widespread attention due to his family’s prominence, leaving behind two young children.
Maryam Sanda, the daughter of Murtala Aliyu, a former Permanent Secretary in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, also came from an influential background. The high-profile nature of the case sparked nationwide conversations about domestic violence, gender issues, and privilege within Nigeria’s justice system.
The trial, presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, featured Sanda’s confessional statement, witness testimonies, and medical reports detailing Bello’s injuries.
On January 27, 2020, Justice Halilu found Sanda guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced her to death by hanging, ruling that the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she intentionally caused Bello’s death.
Sanda appealed the verdict, but in December 2020, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the conviction and death sentence. The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling in 2023, exhausting all her legal options. The latest presidential decision now officially replaces her death sentence with a 12-year prison term.
