“I Am Happy”: Father of Slain Bilyaminu Bello Forgives Maryam Sanda, Backs Tinubu’s Pardon in Emotional Plea
In a stunning display of mercy amid national outrage, the father of murdered businessman Bilyaminu Bello has declared his full forgiveness for his daughter-in-law, Maryam Sanda, following President Bola Tinubu’s controversial pardon of the convicted killer.
The heartfelt statement from Alhaji Ahmed Bello Isa comes just days after the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy recommended clemency for Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for stabbing Bello to death during a heated domestic dispute in Abuja. Isa, speaking exclusively to reporters in Kano on October 14, 2025, revealed he had personally lobbied two Nigerian presidents—former leader Muhammadu Buhari and current President Tinubu—for her release, citing the welfare of their three young children as his guiding light. “I am happy. I have forgiven her completely,” Isa said, his voice steady but eyes welling with tears. “This is for the sake of the innocent children who need their mother.”
The 2018 tragedy shocked Nigeria’s elite circles. Sanda, then 29, allegedly stabbed her husband, a prominent son of a wealthy Kano family and nephew to former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, over suspicions of infidelity. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory convicted her of culpable homicide not punishable by death, but the death penalty stood after appeals failed. Sanda, now 36, has maintained her innocence, claiming self-defense, while serving time at the Kuje Correctional Centre. The pardon, ratified by the National Council of State last week, frees her immediately, sparking fierce debate on justice, gender dynamics, and executive overreach.
Isa detailed his decade-long campaign for mercy, including letters to Buhari in 2021 and video appeals to Tinubu earlier this year. “From the day of the judgment, the children saw their mother only during rare visits,” he recounted. “I couldn’t bear their suffering. God forgives; who are we not to?” His stance drew praise from Sanda’s father, Alhaji Garba Sanda, who hailed Isa’s “rare act of humanity” and thanked the Bello family for embracing reconciliation. The duo’s joint press conference in Abuja underscored a rare bridge across grief, with both fathers urging Nigerians to “leave everything to Allah.”
Yet, the pardon has ignited a firestorm. Bilyaminu Bello’s immediate family issued a scathing condemnation on social media, labeling the decision a “betrayal of justice” and vowing to pursue legal challenges. “This mocks the memory of our son and erodes trust in our courts,” read a family statement shared widely on X, amassing over 50,000 engagements in hours. Human rights advocates are split: Amnesty International welcomed the move as a step against Nigeria’s overburdened death row—home to 3,000 inmates—but critics like the Nigerian Bar Association warn it undermines deterrence for domestic violence, which claims 1,000 lives annually per WHO data.
Legal experts weigh in cautiously. Professor Yemi Oke, a constitutional law scholar at the University of Lagos, told Channels TV that while the president’s prerogative is absolute under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, such high-profile cases demand transparency to avoid perceptions of favoritism. “Tinubu’s team cited Sanda’s good behavior and family pleas, but public buy-in hinges on accountability,” Oke noted. On X, #JusticeForBilyaminu trended with 120,000 posts, blending calls for reversal with defenses of forgiveness rooted in Islamic teachings prevalent in northern Nigeria.
For everyday Nigerians, the saga cuts deep into cultural fault lines. In a nation grappling with 40% youth unemployment and rising gender-based violence—up 30% since 2020 per police stats—this pardon highlights tensions between retributive justice and restorative healing. It could embolden pardon campaigns for over 200 women on death row, many for similar spousal disputes, potentially easing prison overcrowding but risking vigilante backlash in conservative communities. Economically, it spotlights elite influence; Bello’s family ties to power brokers fuel whispers of political maneuvering ahead of 2027 polls.
Public reactions pour in from all corners. Nollywood star Mercy Johnson posted on Instagram: “Forgiveness heals, but justice mustn’t die—prayers for all.” Meanwhile, feminist groups like Wrtd Ink rally under #PardonNotJustice, organizing webinars to dissect the case’s implications for survivors. A Daily Trust poll shows 62% of 5,000 respondents view the pardon as “too lenient,” yet Isa’s appeal resonates in faith-driven circles, where 70% of northern Muslims prioritize family unity per Pew surveys.
As Sanda steps into freedom—reportedly heading to Kano for family reunion—the Bello patriarch’s words echo: “Hate poisons the soul; love redeems it.” With appeals looming and national discourse heated, this chapter tests Nigeria’s fragile balance between law and compassion, promising ripple effects on mercy’s role in a divided society.
By Sam Michael
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