President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has bowed to mounting public pressure by reversing the controversial presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, the woman convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. The reversal reduces her original death sentence to a 12-year prison term, effectively keeping her behind bars for an additional six years.

The decision comes amid fierce backlash from civil society groups, opposition voices, and anti-drug campaigners who argued that the initial clemency undermined Nigeria’s justice system. Critics described the pardon as “dangerous, insensitive and morally troubling,” especially for a country battling violent crimes and domestic abuse.

In an official gazette released Wednesday by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga, the presidency acknowledged that Sanda’s sentence was adjusted strictly on “compassionate grounds,” factoring in her two children, conduct behind bars and demonstrated remorse. She has so far served six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.

However, Gist Reports gathered that the reversal did not happen in isolation. Senior government sources confirmed that the Council of State and legal advisers raised red flags over portions of the original clemency list, triggering a full review.

Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), admitted that some individuals were struck from the earlier pardon roll after failing to meet key criteria. Others had their sentences moderated.

“This exercise balances justice with compassion,” Fagbemi stated, while emphasising the President’s push for humane corrections aligned with global standards. He also revealed that stricter guidelines are being drafted for future mercy exercises, including mandatory consultation with prosecuting agencies.

In what analysts interpret as an institutional self-correction, President Tinubu ordered the immediate relocation of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy to the Ministry of Justice—suggesting deeper oversight going forward.

Observers note that this controversy may reshape how Nigeria treats executive pardons, especially for violent offenders. Legal experts have long argued that broad, opaque mercy powers risk weakening public confidence.

For now, activists are cautiously celebrating the reversal as a rare moment where citizen outrage influenced government action.

Meanwhile, Sanda’s two children remain a central emotional flashpoint in the ongoing debate—caught between the state’s duty to punish and society’s duty to protect.