I wrote to Malami about clemency for Maryam Sanda, says father-in-law

Ahmed Isa Bello, the father of the late Bilyaminu Bello, says he had been seeking clemency for Maryam Sanda, years before President Bola Tinubu granted her a presidential pardon.

Bello said he had written to Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general and minister of justice, in 2019 to request mercy for Sanda on humanitarian grounds.

Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2017 for the murder of her husband, was among inmates recently granted clemency by the president.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Bello described the pardon as “the will of God” and an act of mercy that would allow Maryam to care for her two children.

“I am happy that the father of the nation has released Maryam so that she can look after her children,” he said.

“We as Muslims accept whatever comes from Almighty Allah. I have forgiven her. Vengeance cannot bring back my son, but forgiveness can bring peace.”

Bello added that he bore no grudges against Sanda, her family, or the federal government, stressing that forgiveness was the only way to heal from the tragedy.

Her release through presidential clemency has since sparked a wave of reactions across the country, but Bello noted that the decision reflected divine will.

“I have forgiven her,” he said again, reiterating that he fully accepted the president’s gesture as an act of compassion and faith.