President Tinubu Commutes Maryam Sanda’s Death Sentence to 12 Years — Sparks Nationwide Debate on Justice and Compassion

In a decision stirring both relief and outrage across Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has commuted the death sentence of Maryam Sanda — convicted in 2018 for the fatal stabbing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in 2017 — to a 12-year prison term.

The move, confirmed through an official gazette released on October 29, 2025, lists Sanda among 86 beneficiaries of partial clemency, marking a significant shift from outright pardons to moderated punishments in Nigeria’s correctional reforms.

The presidency’s justification cites “compassionate grounds,” notably Sanda’s record of good conduct during her seven years in Suleja prison and the need to safeguard the welfare of her young children.

Legal analysts interpret the move as part of a broader policy to humanize Nigeria’s penal system, but many Nigerians online view it as a controversial bending of justice standards — especially given the high-profile nature of the case.

Maryam Sanda’s story remains one of Nigeria’s most talked-about domestic crime sagas. Convicted of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, son of former PDP chairman Haliru Bello, after an alleged quarrel over infidelity, her 2018 sentencing by an Abuja High Court drew national attention.

Her appeals — at both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court — were dismissed, reaffirming the death verdict. That punishment stood until this week’s presidential intervention rewrote her fate.

By the terms of the commutation, Sanda’s remaining time in custody is approximately five years, accounting for the seven already served.

This detail has fueled intense speculation about her “imminent release,” with some users on X mistakenly assuming she has already been freed. Replies beneath trending posts range from empathetic to furious. “Justice should never depend on who you are,” one comment reads, while another defends Tinubu’s move: “You can’t punish the mother and orphan the children twice.”

Reactions from civil society groups reflect Nigeria’s longstanding struggle to balance mercy and accountability. Human rights advocates see the decision as a pragmatic expression of executive clemency powers, while women’s rights activists warn it risks undermining deterrence in domestic violence cases. Legal observers also note that this partial clemency signals Tinubu’s preference for compromise over absolution — a deliberate shift from the full pardons that characterized past administrations.

Whether seen as compassion or compromise, Maryam Sanda’s reduced sentence reopens old wounds in the nation’s justice conversation. It underscores how one high-profile case can crystallize deep public distrust in the system — and how even mercy, when selectively applied, can become a lightning rod for national debate.

— Busterblog.com