OAP Osi Questions Tinubu’s Pardon of Maryam Sanda, Others, Says it Sets Bad Example
Popular On-Air Personality (OAP), Osi Suave, has publicly expressed his strong disapproval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent grant of clemency to several convicts, including Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
The controversial clemency list, which included 175 convicts and former convicts, has stirred significant public debate, with Sanda’s name drawing particular scrutiny due to the nature of her conviction.
Osi Suave, known for his outspoken commentary, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account, @Osi_Suave, to share his “two cents” on the matter, suggesting a lack of due diligence in the President’s approval process.
“I want to believe the president just got a list of people and he signed off on the pardon,” Osi tweeted.
His core concern revolved around the inclusion of individuals convicted of violent and heinous crimes, suggesting that some ought to remain incarcerated. “Cos some of those criminals suppose still dey prison,” he wrote, directly challenging the rationale behind the pardons for specific cases.
The OAP specifically highlighted the gravity of Maryam Sanda’s crime, questioning the morality and legality of her reprieve.
“How you go kill your husband and you go get pardon,” he queried, before adding a reference to other serious offences. “Then you kidnap and get a pardon.”
Concluding his critique, Osi Suave argued that such pardons undermined the justice system and sent the wrong message to the public. “Sets a bad example to be honest,” he stated.
Maryam Sanda was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging in January 2020 by an FCT High Court for fatally stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in 2017.
Her inclusion in the Presidential pardon list, granted based on the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, has reignited the national conversation around the application of executive clemency and its impact on justice for victims of violent crimes.
The Presidency has defended the clemency, citing recommendations from the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, which were based on factors such as good conduct, remorse, old age, and acquisition of vocational skills.
However, critics like Osi Suave maintain that the severity of some crimes should preclude presidential mercy.
