Presidential Pardon For Maryam Sanda Has Reopened Healing Wounds, We’re Deeply Hurt-Bello Family

Granting clemency to Maryam Sanda the young woman, who stabbed her husband, Bilyaminu Bello to death at their Abuja residence on November 19, 2017, and later got convicted of murder in 2020, is ‘the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through’, the Bello family has submitted.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the family reacted to the new development in a statement  issued on Monday by Dr Bello Mohammed while noting that Maryam being made to enjoy a presidential pardon has reopened painful wounds that had barely healed.

‘To have Maryam Sanda walk the face of the earth again, free from any blemish for her heinous crime as if she had merely squashed an ant, is the worst possible injustice any family could be made to go through for a loved one’ the statement said.

Noting that Maryam Sanda was convicted of murder by the FCT High Court on January 27, 2020, with the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court upholding the verdict on December 4, 2020, and October 27, 2023, respectively, the family said they had gotten satisfied that justice had been served.

‘Satisfied that justice had finally been served, the judgment provided some closure of sorts in the circumstance, if ever there could be one.

Although the perpetrator had shown no remorse, even for a fleeting moment throughout the saga, the grieving family took solace in the judgments and moved on, having painfully come to terms with the fate that life had thrust upon one of our own.

This latest turn of events, coming just a few years after the dastardly crime that cruelly cut short Bilyaminu’s life, has, however, expectedly reopened our healing wounds.

We interpret this decision as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by way of extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer.
At the same time, it conveniently ignored the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s grieving family, friends and associates’ the family added.

The Bello family further accused the Federal government of undermining the judicial process and disregarding the feelings of the deceased person’s loved ones, noting that the decision has dehumanized their late son and reduced him to a mere statistic.

 ‘We are compelled to issue this formal statement to humanize Bilyaminu, who is now suddenly being made to appear as if he is just another faceless anonymous individual in the long line of victims of crimes in the country.

The alleged grounds for Maryam Sanda’s release were predicated on appeals from her family, amongst other considerations.

It is pertinent to stress that Bilyaminu was also our cherished family member who was profoundly loved and deeply mourned by his teeming relations, friends and close associates following the unfortunate incident that resulted in his gruesome murder eight years ago.

Maryam, let’s not forget, had earlier denied the same children now used to elicit sympathy and secure her release, the opportunity to know what a father’s love and care mean.

Bilyaminu’s family is deeply hurt by this latest development, which we interpret as primarily driven by the sole motivation for appeasing Maryam’s family members by way of extending mercy to a certified convicted murderer, while at the same time overlooking or conveniently ignoring the corresponding inexorable pain that has now been inflicted on the victim’s teeming grieving family members, friends and associates arising from the action.

We take solace in the simple fact that in such matters, the ultimate comprehensive justice resides purely with the Supreme Judge and our Creator, who will dispense this matter on the Day of Recompense’ the family added.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had last week wielded the clemency power and approved the release of 175 people serving jail sentences across the country-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you