In an extraordinary display of forgiveness and humanity, Alhaji Ahmed Bello Isa, father of the late Bilyaminu Bello, has expressed his joy and gratitude over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted of murdering her husband in 2017.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja on Tuesday alongside Maryam’s father, Alhaji Garba Sanda, Alhaji Bello Isa revealed that he had long been advocating for clemency for his daughter-in-law, motivated by compassion and concern for the wellbeing of her two young children.
“There is nothing more painful than for someone to lose a son in the way I lost mine. However, what gives me some measure of comfort is that he left behind two beautiful children — my granddaughter, Sa’adatu Bilyaminu, and my grandson, Bilyaminu Bilyaminu,” he said.
“I have forgiven Maryam, who was found guilty of killing my son. Before the end of the trial, I made every effort to let both the Police and the Court know that I did not want her prosecuted, because I did not want a situation where my grandchildren, who had already lost their father, would also lose their mother.”
Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging in January 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in a case that gripped the nation and sparked widespread debate on domestic violence and justice.
Alhaji Bello Isa stated that as a devout Muslim, he had chosen to leave judgment to Allah and had formally appealed for clemency as early as 2019. He wrote letters to then-Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and the Commissioner of Police, and swore an affidavit at the FCT High Court on 21 June 2019, affirming his forgiveness and requesting that the case be withdrawn.
A copy of a letter dated 16 December 2024, titled “Request for Exercise of Prerogative of Mercy for My Daughter-in-Law, Maryam Sanda Sentenced to Death by Hanging”, is reportedly in possession of Arise News.
“I have taken it as the will of Almighty Allah,” he told journalists. “I do not blame Maryam for what happened. But now that she has been sentenced to death, I beg in the name of Almighty Allah for mercy. If she is killed, who will take care of her two children?”
Since the sentencing, Maryam has been held at Suleja Correctional Facility, where, according to Alhaji Bello Isa, the children have only been able to see their mother during occasional visits — a situation he described as heartbreaking.
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He acknowledged that his decision was controversial and had drawn differing opinions within the family and the wider public. However, he maintained that forgiveness was the best path forward.
“Vengeance cannot bring back my son. But forgiveness can bring peace to my family, to her family, and to the children who must not suffer any longer,” he said.
Also speaking at the press conference, Alhaji Garba Sanda, father of Maryam, expressed deep appreciation to the Bello family for their compassion.
“Words cannot describe our appreciation to the Bello family for this gesture of mercy and reconciliation,” he said. “We continue to pray that something positive may yet emerge from this regrettable tragedy — that our families may heal, and that these children will grow up knowing love from both sides.”
The two families affirmed their commitment to work together in raising the children in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, and mutual support, choosing faith, forgiveness, and humanity over bitterness and grief.
President Tinubu’s pardon of Maryam Sanda was granted under the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, a constitutional power often used to offer clemency in exceptional cases.
