President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withdrawn the presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
According to a new official gazette released by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the President reversed her death sentence and replaced it with a 12-year prison term on compassionate grounds.
The document revealed that Sanda, who has already spent six years and eight months in prison, will now serve about six more years due to her good conduct and efforts at rehabilitation.
Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), confirmed the decision, saying the President reviewed the earlier clemency list after consultations with the Council of State. The review process aimed to ensure that only deserving inmates benefited from the Prerogative of Mercy.
Fagbemi explained that some names were removed for not meeting the required standards, while a few sentences were adjusted to ensure fairness and justice.
The statement also noted that the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy will be moved from the Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice, and new guidelines will be introduced to prevent abuse of future pardon exercises.
Tinubu’s earlier decision to grant clemency to 175 persons, including Sanda, had drawn strong criticism from political figures such as Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who argued that it undermined justice and the fight against crime.
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