President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has removed Maryam Sanda from the presidential pardon list. Sanda was sentenced to death in 2020 for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
The decision also excludes individuals convicted of severe crimes, including kidnapping, drug offenses, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal firearms possession or trafficking. Those previously pardoned on the old list have had their sentences reduced.
Tinubu recently approved the release of 175 inmates under the Prerogative of Mercy policy for humanitarian reasons.
Sanda was initially included among those pardoned. She was convicted for stabbing Bello to death at their Abuja home on November 19, 2017.
Her inclusion, along with other serious offenders, drew public outrage over perceived leniency toward criminality. In response, the government initiated a multi-agency review of the pardon list.
