President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the removal of Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, from the federal pardon list.
According to a statement obtained by LeadNaija News, President Tinubu directed that individuals convicted of severe crimes—including kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal possession or trafficking of firearms—be expunged from the latest clemency roll.
The directive comes as part of the President’s ongoing review of the Federal Prerogative of Mercy Committee’s recommendations, ensuring that only deserving inmates benefit from state pardons.
Sources within the Presidency confirmed that the review also affected those who had earlier been granted pardons under previous administrations. Their sentences have now been reduced rather than fully waived, reflecting a stricter application of justice under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sanda’s removal from the list has sparked widespread attention, given the public interest in her high-profile case, which culminated in a 2020 Supreme Court verdict affirming her death sentence for the killing of Bello, the son of a former PDP National Chairman, Haliru Bello.
President Tinubu’s move is being hailed by legal observers as a decisive step toward ensuring that the prerogative of mercy is not misused to shield those convicted of heinous crimes.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
