Olayiwola Matthew
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has spared Maryam Sanda from execution by granting her a presidential pardon, ending her six-plus years on death row for the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
The pardon, unveiled in an official statement, comes as part of a broader clemency exercise that saw 175 convicts and former convicts, including high-profile, capital and posthumous cases, receive mercy.
Sanda, 37, was convicted in January 2020 by the FCT High Court for culpable homicide after she stabbed Bello to death in November 2017 during a domestic dispute. She spent about six years and eight months in Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre before being considered for clemency.
According to the presidency, factors that weighed in her favour included good conduct in prison, expressions of remorse, and advocacy by her family citing the welfare of her two children.