Tinubu Reverses Maryam Sanda’s Pardon, Reduces Death Sentence to 12 Years — Full List of Beneficiaries Released
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revoked the earlier presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in Abuja. The new decision reduces her death sentence to 12 years imprisonment, marking a significant reversal in her legal journey.
According to an official gazette released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the review was carried out on compassionate grounds. The document noted that Sanda’s punishment was reduced “in the best interest of her children, considering her good conduct, remorsefulness, and the new lifestyle she has embraced as a model prisoner.”
Sanda, who has spent nearly seven years at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, had previously benefited from a presidential pardon announced on October 11, 2025. At the time, her family had appealed for her release, citing the welfare of her two children and her positive behaviour in prison.
The Presidency, in its earlier statement, revealed that the clemency was based on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi (SAN).
However, the latest gazette shows that President Tinubu reconsidered the decision after public outcry and legal consultations. Rather than a full pardon, Sanda’s death sentence was commuted to a 12-year jail term. This move, according to the government, strikes a balance between justice and compassion.
Other individuals who benefited from the President’s latest round of clemency include Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the Ogoni Eight — all of whom were recognized for various forms of posthumous or conditional pardons.
The gazette also listed four other convicts whose death sentences were converted to life imprisonment. It read in part:
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)… I, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby commute the death sentence of the following persons to life imprisonment: Emmanuel Baba, Abubakar Usman, Khalifa Umar, and Mohammed Umar.”
The announcement has generated mixed reactions across the country. While some citizens and rights groups commended President Tinubu for demonstrating compassion, others criticised the move, especially after the initial inclusion of individuals convicted of serious crimes such as drug trafficking.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the President’s handling of the clemency exercise as one that “erodes the moral authority of leadership and emboldens lawlessness.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation clarified that none of the inmates approved for clemency have been released yet. The statement explained that the process remains in its final administrative stage, with a review underway to ensure that all recommendations comply with established legal and procedural requirements before any release instrument is issued.
