In a move that has sparked both relief and reflection, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reduced the sentence of Maryam Sanda — once condemned to death by hanging — to 12 years imprisonment. The decision, made on compassionate grounds, comes years after her 2020 conviction for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, a case that gripped the nation with its emotional and legal complexity.
The reduction was confirmed in the final list of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, following an extensive review and consultations. According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Sanda’s sentence was commuted because of her “model prison behavior, embrace of new life, and the well-being of her children.” Her name had earlier been removed from the initial pardon list, but the new review reinstated her under revised compassionate considerations.
Alongside Sanda, four other inmates — Emmanuel Baba, Abubakar Usman, Khalifa Umar, and Mohammed Umar — had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment. Fagbemi explained that the review was part of Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring fairness, justice, and rehabilitation within Nigeria’s correctional system. “This exercise underscores the President’s desire to balance justice with compassion — justice must not only punish, but also reform and redeem,” he said.
The Attorney General noted that the review process was carried out with “meticulous commitment to due process,” ensuring that only individuals who met legal and procedural standards benefited. As part of ongoing justice reforms, Tinubu also directed the relocation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Ministry of Justice to enhance transparency and coordination.
The government further announced that new guidelines would be issued to govern future exercises of presidential mercy, requiring mandatory consultation with relevant prosecuting agencies. Fagbemi, in his closing remarks, thanked Nigerians for their patience and engagement, assuring that the administration remains committed to justice that upholds human dignity while maintaining law and order.
For many, the decision marks a rare moment where the cold letter of the law meets the warmth of compassion — a reminder that even in justice, humanity must have a place.
