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The Digest:

The family of Bilyaminu Bello has broken their silence, condemning President Tinubu's pardon of Maryam Sanda, the woman convicted of murdering their son, saying the clemency has "reopened healing wounds" and represents the ultimate betrayal of justice for victims.

Key Points:
  • Maryam Sanda was convicted and sentenced to death for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in 2017
  • She was among 175 convicts granted a presidential pardon last Thursday
  • The victim's family said the pardon is "the worst possible injustice any family could experience."
  • They emphasized that Sanda showed no remorse throughout her trial and appeals
  • The presidency cited appeals from Sanda's family and her conduct in prison
  • Bello's family said the pardon prioritizes the perpetrator over the victim's grieving relatives
  • They noted Sanda had denied her children "a father's love" through her actions
When mercy flows only toward the convicted and never toward the bereaved, justice becomes a one-sided river, revealing that true healing requires the wounds of victims to be honored, not reopened by the very system meant to protect them.

Sources: The Cable