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Slain Husband’s Father Forgives Maryam Sanda, Says He Has Left Everything To God
We as Muslims accept whatever comes from Almighty Allah
Abuja, Nigeria – The father of the late Bilyaminu Bello, Alhaji Ahmed Bello Isa, has said he bears no grudges against Maryam Sanda, the woman convicted of killing his son in 2017, following her recent release from prison through a presidential pardon granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, Alhaji Ahmed described the clemency as “the will of God” and expressed his acceptance of the decision with a heart of forgiveness and faith.
He said that though the family went through unimaginable pain after the death of his son, they had since chosen the path of peace and reconciliation.
“I am happy that the father of the nation, President Bola Tinubu, has released Maryam so that she can look after her children,” Alhaji Ahmed said calmly.
“We as Muslims accept whatever comes from Almighty Allah. I have forgiven her completely and hold no resentment against the Federal Government or her family. Vengeance cannot bring back my son, but forgiveness can bring peace.”
The elderly father, who appeared composed throughout the briefing, said that his late son’s two children should not be made to suffer for the sins of their mother, adding that the presidential pardon would allow them to experience maternal love once again.
“The children are innocent, and they need their mother’s care. We cannot allow bitterness to destroy the future of these young ones,” he said.
Maryam Sanda, who was convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja in 2020 for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death during a domestic dispute, had been serving a life sentence at the Suleja Correctional Centre before she was among those granted presidential clemency in September 2024.
The case, which drew national attention and sparked debates about domestic violence, justice, and gender in Nigeria, has once again resurfaced following the presidential pardon.
However, for the Bello family patriarch, the chapter appears to have closed.
