President Bola Tinubu has reversed the presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. The President has now approved a reduced 12-year jail term, meaning Sanda, who has already served six years and eight months, will spend about six more years in prison.
The decision was contained in an official gazette released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.
According to the document, the President exercised his powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to review the list of beneficiaries of the recent presidential clemency.
The gazette stated:
“Maryam Sanda, convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to death by hanging on 27/01/2020, having served six years and eight months at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, will now serve 12 years on compassionate grounds—in the best interest of her children, for good conduct, and demonstrated remorse.”
Sanda’s name appeared alongside 85 others listed under the “Reduced Terms” category, including Harunah Isah (35), Mamman Ibrahim (50), Sanusi Adamu (28), Sadi Musa (20), Sabiyu Aliyu, and Halliru Sani (18).
Confirming the development, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the President ordered a review of the clemency list after consultations with the Council of State and widespread public concern over some of the beneficiaries.
He explained that the review was carried out “to ensure that only persons who met the stipulated legal and procedural requirements benefitted from the prerogative of mercy.”
Fagbemi said:
“During this final review, a few persons earlier recommended were found not to have met the necessary requirements and were accordingly delisted, while in some other cases, sentences were reviewed and reduced to reflect fairness, justice, and the spirit of the exercise.”
He added that the decision underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to balancing justice with compassion, ensuring that mercy does not undermine due process.
To improve transparency in future exercises, Tinubu has directed the immediate relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The Attorney-General added that the President also instructed his office to develop Guidelines for the Exercise of the Power of Prerogative of Mercy, which will include compulsory consultations with relevant prosecuting agencies.
“This will ensure that only persons who fully meet legal and procedural requirements will henceforth benefit from the issuance of instruments of release,” Fagbemi noted.
President Tinubu had earlier granted Sanda a presidential pardonreportedly on compassionate grounds following appeals from her family, who argued that her release was in the best interest of her two young children.
The pardon was part of a broader clemency initiative that included 175 Nigerians and foreigners, among them the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, Major General Mamman Vatsa, and other members of the “Ogoni Nine.”
However, the decision sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties and prominent figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who described the move as “a dangerous affront to justice and morality.”
They argued that granting pardons to individuals convicted of serious crimes, including homicide and drug trafficking, undermined Nigeria’s anti-crime efforts and public confidence in the justice system.
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