Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn the earlier presidential pardon granted to convicted murderer, Maryam Sanda, following widespread public outrage and criticism over what many Nigerians described as a miscarriage of justice.
Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of former PDP Chairman, Haliru Bello, had her sentence initially commuted to six years under the President’s prerogative of mercy.
However, after a wave of condemnation, Tinubu directed a review of the decision and approved a reduced 12-year term instead.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said the decision followed “extensive consultations with the Council of State and a sober consideration of public opinion.”
He explained that while the President retains the constitutional power to grant pardon, the process must “reflect justice as a three-way traffic — for the accused, the victim, and the state.”
According to the statement, Sanda—who has already spent six years and eight months in custody at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre—will now serve the remainder of her revised sentence under strict supervision.
The initial pardon sparked intense outrage across the country, with several rights groups, lawyers, and gender justice advocates accusing the Presidency of undermining the rule of law and trivialising domestic violence.
Critics argued that Sanda’s crime, which involved the brutal stabbing of her husband, was too grievous to merit executive leniency. Social media platforms were flooded with hashtags such as #JusticeForBilyaminu and #NoToImpunity, demanding a reversal of the pardon.
In response, the Presidency noted that the outcry “underscored the deep public trust in the justice system” and that the administration “will not take such trust for granted.”
The revised clemency list includes 85 other inmates whose sentences were either commuted or pardoned. Among them are Oroka Michael Chibueze, Adesanya Olufemi Paul, and Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa, while some death row inmates such as Emmanuel Baba and Abubakar Usman had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment.
The President also granted posthumous pardons to notable figures, including the late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, and members of the Ogoni Nine, executed under the Abacha regime.
Others granted clemency include former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan; ex-permanent secretary, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia; and nationalist Herbert Macaulay.
As part of wider reforms to the clemency process, President Tinubu directed the relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation to establish clear guidelines for exercising the prerogative of mercy, mandating consultation with prosecuting and security agencies before recommendations are made.
“This measure,” Onanuga said, “is to ensure that only deserving individuals who meet legal and moral criteria benefit from the mercy of the state.”
The President, while appreciating Nigerians for their “constructive feedback and vigilance,” reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to upholding justice, strengthening institutional integrity, and ensuring that compassion does not override accountability.
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