Bilyaminu Bello’s Father Confirms He Begged Tinubu To Grant Maryam Sanda Presidential Pardon
Ahmed Bello, father of the late Bilyaminu Bello, has confirmed that he personally pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to his daughter-in-law, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2017 for killing his son. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during a joint interview with Maryam’s father, Garba Sanda, Bello explained that his request was made purely on humanitarian grounds and out of concern for his two grandchildren, who had already lost their father. He said executing Maryam would not have brought his son back but would have left the children without both parents. “As a Muslim, I accepted the incident as the will of Allah. I have forgiven Maryam for what happened,” Bello said. “Before the trial ended, I appealed to both the police and the court to drop the case because I didn’t want my grandchildren to lose their mother after losing their father.” Reacting to reports that some family members disapproved of the pardon, Bello maintained that everyone was entitled to their opinion but insisted that his forgiveness was genuine and complete. On his part, Maryam’s father, Garba Sanda, expressed deep appreciation to the Bello family for their compassion and forgiveness, describing their act as one of true faith and humanity. “Words cannot express how grateful we are for this act of mercy and reconciliation. We pray for continued healing and for the children to grow up surrounded by love and peace,” he said. Both families reaffirmed their decision to move forward in unity and forgiveness, promising to jointly raise the late Bilyaminu’s children in a peaceful and loving environment. President Bola Tinubu had recently granted Maryam Sanda a presidential pardon after she spent more than six years in prison.
