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President Bola Tinubu has adjusted a previous presidential pardon extended to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for the fatal stabbing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. Rather than granting full clemency, the administration has now commuted her death sentence to a fixed term of 12 years in prison.
The revision was officially documented in an amended gazette issued on Wednesday, with the announcement shared by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. The updated publication outlines the recalibrated penalties for several inmates, including Sanda, reflecting a shift in the earlier blanket pardon approach.
Sanda, whose high-profile case drew widespread media attention and public debate over domestic violence and judicial fairness, has already spent six years and eight months behind bars at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State. Under the newly imposed 12-year sentence, she is projected to serve an additional five years and four months before becoming eligible for release, assuming standard remission policies apply.
The government cited compassionate grounds as the basis for the commutation, though no further details were provided regarding the specific humanitarian factors considered in Sanda’s case. The decision aligns with broader prerogative of mercy exercises aimed at decongesting correctional facilities and offering second chances to inmates deemed suitable for reduced punishment.
The same gazette includes commutations for over 80 other prisoners, converting various death and life sentences into determinate jail terms ranging from a few years to several decades.
This batch of reviews underscores ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to reform aspects of the criminal justice system, particularly in addressing longstanding concerns about overcrowding in Nigeria’s prisons and the prolonged detention of inmates awaiting execution.
Sanda’s original conviction stemmed from a 2017 incident in which she allegedly stabbed Bello, a nephew of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman Mohammed Bello, during a domestic dispute at their Abuja residence. The trial court found her guilty in January 2020, sentencing her to death by hanging—a verdict upheld by the Court of Appeal but later contested at the Supreme Court, where proceedings remain pending.The initial pardon announcement had sparked mixed reactions, with some quarters praising it as an act of mercy while others criticized it as undermining judicial authority. The latest adjustment appears designed to strike a balance, maintaining accountability through continued incarceration while eliminating capital punishment.
Legal analysts suggest the move could set a precedent for future prerogative of mercy cases, particularly those involving gender-based violence or high-profile defendants. It also highlights the administration’s preference for structured sentencing over outright releases in sensitive matters.
As of now, neither Sanda’s legal team nor the victim’s family has issued an official response to the commutation. The development, however, reignites conversations around restorative justice, prison reform, and the role of executive intervention in criminal convictions.
#Instablog9jaNews #TrendingStory #Awareness #StayUpdated#NollywoodTimes#MaryamSandaCommuted #TinubuPrerogativeOfMercy #DeathSentenceRevised #NigerianPrisonReform
The revision was officially documented in an amended gazette issued on Wednesday, with the announcement shared by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. The updated publication outlines the recalibrated penalties for several inmates, including Sanda, reflecting a shift in the earlier blanket pardon approach.
Sanda, whose high-profile case drew widespread media attention and public debate over domestic violence and judicial fairness, has already spent six years and eight months behind bars at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State. Under the newly imposed 12-year sentence, she is projected to serve an additional five years and four months before becoming eligible for release, assuming standard remission policies apply.
The government cited compassionate grounds as the basis for the commutation, though no further details were provided regarding the specific humanitarian factors considered in Sanda’s case. The decision aligns with broader prerogative of mercy exercises aimed at decongesting correctional facilities and offering second chances to inmates deemed suitable for reduced punishment.
The same gazette includes commutations for over 80 other prisoners, converting various death and life sentences into determinate jail terms ranging from a few years to several decades.
This batch of reviews underscores ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to reform aspects of the criminal justice system, particularly in addressing longstanding concerns about overcrowding in Nigeria’s prisons and the prolonged detention of inmates awaiting execution.
Sanda’s original conviction stemmed from a 2017 incident in which she allegedly stabbed Bello, a nephew of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman Mohammed Bello, during a domestic dispute at their Abuja residence. The trial court found her guilty in January 2020, sentencing her to death by hanging—a verdict upheld by the Court of Appeal but later contested at the Supreme Court, where proceedings remain pending.The initial pardon announcement had sparked mixed reactions, with some quarters praising it as an act of mercy while others criticized it as undermining judicial authority. The latest adjustment appears designed to strike a balance, maintaining accountability through continued incarceration while eliminating capital punishment.
Legal analysts suggest the move could set a precedent for future prerogative of mercy cases, particularly those involving gender-based violence or high-profile defendants. It also highlights the administration’s preference for structured sentencing over outright releases in sensitive matters.
As of now, neither Sanda’s legal team nor the victim’s family has issued an official response to the commutation. The development, however, reignites conversations around restorative justice, prison reform, and the role of executive intervention in criminal convictions.
#Instablog9jaNews #TrendingStory #Awareness #StayUpdated#NollywoodTimes#MaryamSandaCommuted #TinubuPrerogativeOfMercy #DeathSentenceRevised #NigerianPrisonReform
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