Bola Tinubu revokes Maryam Sanda’s presidential pardon after backlash, converting her death sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate grounds.

President Bola Hammed Tinubu has officially revoked the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

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The reversal comes after a wave of public backlash that trailed the initial pardon, with many Nigerians criticising the decision as a miscarriage of justice.

In an official gazette released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency confirmed that the pardon had been withdrawn.

According to the document, Sanda’s death sentence has now been commuted to a 12-year prison term on compassionate grounds, acknowledging that she has already spent six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.

The move appears to strike a balance between clemency and accountability, following strong public sentiment that the earlier pardon undermined the justice system.

Maryam Sanda was convicted in January 2020 by the Federal Capital Territory High Court for the murder of her husband, the son of a former PDP National Chairman, Haliru Bello, after a domestic dispute turned deadly.

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While the Presidency has not issued an additional public statement beyond the gazette, the decision has reignited discussions about Nigeria’s clemency policy and the moral boundaries of presidential power.

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