President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn the presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, following widespread backlash and public criticism.
The reversal of Sanda’s clemency was contained in an official gazette released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
According to the document, President Tinubu approved a review of the earlier pardon after consultations with the Council of State and other relevant authorities, which led to a decision that Sanda would now serve a 12-year jail term instead of being set free.
The gazette read, “Maryam Sanda, whose offence was culpable homicide, sentenced on 27/01/2020 with death by hanging, has served six years and eight months at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Suleja.
She will now serve 12 years based on compassionate grounds, in the best interest of the children and good conduct, having embraced a new lifestyle, shown remorsefulness, and been described as a model prisoner.”
Confirming the development, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), explained that the presidential pardon granted Sanda and others was reviewed after the President received concerns from the public and members of the Council of State.
“It is to be recalled that following consultations with the Council of State, the President received concerns on the recommended list and consequently initiated a due process review. This exercise has been completed and approved by the President,” Fagbemi said.
The Justice Minister added that the decision to reverse some pardons and commute sentences was guided by the need to ensure fairness, justice, and the credibility of the presidential mercy process.
He noted, “During this final review, a few persons earlier recommended were found not to have met the necessary requirements and were accordingly delisted, while in some other cases, sentences were reviewed and reduced to reflect fairness and justice.”
The exercise underscores the President’s desire to balance justice with compassion and the belief that justice must not only punish but also reform and redeem.”
President Tinubu, in a related move, directed that the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy be relocated from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He also instructed the Attorney-General to issue new guidelines to ensure that future clemency exercises involve compulsory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies.
The decision to revoke Sanda’s clemency followed public outrage and criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who had described the earlier pardon as a mockery of justice and an affront to the memory of the late Bilyaminu Bello.
Sanda, who has so far spent over six years in prison, was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 by the Federal Capital Territory High Court for killing her husband during a domestic dispute in Abuja.
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