🕊 A Father’s Unlikely Plea
Eight years after the tragedy that stunned the nation, Bello Isa, father of the slain Bilyaminu Bello, has publicly begged the government to free his daughter-in-law, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for murdering her husband in Abuja.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with Maryam’s father, Garba Sanda, Bello Isa revealed that he has written multiple letters—since 2019—to successive Attorneys-General and the FCT Police Command, appealing for clemency.
“There is nothing more painful than losing a son the way I lost mine,” Isa said. “But I have forgiven Maryam. What gives me comfort is that my grandchildren—Sa’adatu Bilyaminu and Bilyaminu Bilyaminu—still have their mother alive. If she is executed, they will grow up as orphans.”
📜 Background of the Case
Maryam Sanda was convicted in January 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of a former PDP chairman. The Abuja High Court found her guilty of stabbing him during a domestic dispute.
Her conviction followed a high-profile trial that polarized the public over gender, class, and the death-penalty question.
Since her sentencing, Sanda has remained on death row at the Kuje Correctional Centre, pending appeal and any exercise of presidential mercy.
📊 Impact Snapshots
- Conviction: Maryam Sanda v. FRN (2020) — Death sentence upheld
- Petitioner: Bello Isa, father of victim
- Children: Two — Sa’adatu and Bilyaminu Bilyaminu
- Key Appeal: Exercise of Presidential Clemency (Section 175 1999 Constitution)
- Public Reaction: Divided between justice purists and advocates of mercy
From Retribution to Reconciliation
Isa’s intervention has reshaped the national conversation—from vengeance to restorative justice.
Human-rights advocates view his letter as a rare moment of moral leadership by a victim’s family, echoing calls by legal experts for reform of Nigeria’s clemency framework.
Criminologist Dr Chika Onwu told IDNN that such gestures “humanize justice in a system often seen as punitive rather than redemptive.”
She added that the plea could test how far Nigeria’s justice system can balance legal finality with compassion.
Mercy as a State Instrument
Under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, the President may grant pardons or commute sentences after consultation with the Council of State.
Analysts believe the Bello family’s open forgiveness may strengthen the argument for clemency as an act of restorative healing.
Civil-society groups are urging the Ministry of Justice and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy to review the case as part of a broader campaign to reassess inmates on death row.
Winners & Losers
Winners: Advocates of criminal-justice reform, faith leaders promoting forgiveness, and civil-rights campaigners seeking alternatives to capital punishment.
Losers: Traditional law-and-order voices who argue that clemency may weaken deterrence and the authority of final judgments.
This is IDNN. Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.
