Father of the late Bilyaminu Bello Ahmed Bello has confirmed that he personally appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to his daughter-in-law, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted for the murder of his son in 2017.
Speaking during a joint interview on Tuesday in Abuja with Maryam’s father, Garba Sanda, Mr Bello said his request was based on humanitarian reasons and concern for his two grandchildren.
According to him, executing Maryam would not have brought back his son but would have left the children without parental care.
“As a Muslim, I accepted the event as the will of Allah. I have forgiven Maryam for what happened,” he said.
“Before the end of the trial, I appealed to both the police and the court to drop the case because I did not want my grandchildren to lose their mother after losing their father.”
Reacting to reports that some family members opposed the pardon, he said everyone was entitled to their opinion but maintained that he had fully forgiven Maryam.
On his part, Mr Sanda, Maryam’s father, expressed gratitude to Bello and his family for their gesture of forgiveness, describing it as an act of faith and humanity.
“Words cannot express how grateful we are for this gesture of mercy and reconciliation. We pray that healing continues for both families and that the children grow up surrounded by love and peace,” he said.
Both families reaffirmed their decision to embrace forgiveness, compassion and unity, pledging to work together to raise the late Bilyaminu’s children in an environment of peace and love.
President Bola Tinubu recently granted Maryam Sanda a presidential pardon after she spent over six years in prison.
