President Bola Tinubu has reversed the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted of the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in Abuja.
In the official gazette released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, her sentence was reduced from death to 12 years imprisonment.
It revealed that the convict would serve 12 years “based on compassionate grounds, in the best interest of the children and good conduct, embraced new lifestyle, model prisoner and remorsefulness”.
Sanda, who has spent six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, had earlier been pardoned by the President.
In a statement released on October 11, 2025, the Presidency said her family pleaded for her release, arguing that it was in the best interest of her two children.
“The plea was also anchored on her good conduct in jail, her remorse, and her embracement of a new lifestyle, demonstrating her commitment to being a model prisoner,” the statement read.
According to the President’s aide, the gesture was made on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi (SAN).
Others who received presidential pardons included,
Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight.
However, the gazette released on Wednesday showed that Sanda was not one of those whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf,
I, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby commute the death sentence of the following persons to life imprisonment:
Emmanuel Baba, Abubakar Usman, Khalifa Umar, Mohammed Umar.
“This Instrument may be cited as the Instrument of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy (Commutation of Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment), 2025. Made at Abuja, this 21st day of October, 2025,” it partly read.
Tinubu’s earlier list, which contained the names of 175 convicts, attracted mixed reactions.
While some commended the President for his action, others criticised him for including the names of some individuals who were jailed for serious offences, including drug trafficking.
Former vice president and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, described Tinubu’s action as one that “erodes the moral authority of leadership and emboldens lawlessness”.
But the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy had been released from custody.
The AGF said the process remained at the final administrative stage, which included a standard review to ensure that all names and recommendations fully complied with established legal and procedural requirements before any instrument of release was issued.
List of the pardoned below:
