The family of the son of ex-PDP chairman, Haliru Bello, whose son
Bilyaminu Bello, was murdered by his wife Maryam Sanda, have finally
broken their silence on the sad incident.
A brother of the deceased who spoke to the Nation, said the family is still reeling in shock.
“So
far, the family is grieving. Maryam’s family have come to pay their
condolence. The mother has come but what is more painful is the fact
that Maryam does not look remorseful for what she did at all. I just
pray one day, she finds it in her heart to honestly say what it is that
made her do what she did. As a family, we are looking at the authority
to do what is right, to let justice prevail. This is an example to
others. The way this case is treated will determine how we move
forward…Bilyamin was not just my older brother but best friend.” he said
tribute, said Bilyaminu was a prisoner in his matrmonial home.
‘My
friend was being held a prisoner in his own home. He couldn’t leave the
house in the sense that it was an ongoing thing; the abuse went on for a
while. For me there is a difference between love and when somebody is
being obsessive. People tend not to understand the difference between
love and obsession. It wasn’t the best marriage and I believe either of
them could have just walked away. It’s easier to sit down in that sorrow
and think you can change things, or that if I can’t have him, no one
will. I don’t consider it love. I can’t speak on his behalf. I can’t
speak on his personal issue, he is a good friend and he is gone. He was
that one guy that the minute we step out, we will be like, it is time
for you to go home, your wife is about to call, after hanging out for as
little as an hour or even 30 minutes. Even in the afternoon because she
always calls. So we formed the habit of going to see him at home. The
situation with the law, there are a lot of speculations right now on
social media but if Nigeria should excuse people for murder just because
they have a child, then if I am a murderer, then I will keep on having
babies every week, that is not an excuse, for me. If somebody has
committed a murder, either intentionally or by mistake, she should not
be allowed to even see her baby because you don’t even know her state of
mind. I don’t understand the system. A conversation has to begin on
domestic violence against men as well because it’s becoming recurrent.
If it is a case of murder by mistake then there is a price to pay of
which a family can forgive but only God gives life and only God can take
it. So, if you take a life, then your life should be taken. It is that
simple. If the evidence shows it is a murder, then there is no excuse.
It should be a case of an eye for an eye. It is that simple.”
Another friend of the deceased, Jemila Shehu, said;
”I
have no idea. I was not in her mind. I don’t know what she was
thinking. All I know is that they both loved each other. There was love
there, only God knows. It beats my imagination and I don’t want to think
about it or give any excuse as a Muslim. He is gone but I don’t know
what she was thinking. I don’t know what to think about her. For me, she
should be punished. She committed murder. So, she should serve the
punishment fully. This happened to someone that was loved by a lot of
people. He was kind, quiet and people knew them to be in love. So, it
beats everybody’s imagination. Domestic violence should be treated.
People should relax, love is not by force. Obsession is a disease. There
are a lot of people in Nigeria that are sick but people don’t know
because you think that if you go to the therapist, they look down on you
or think you are crazy but there are a lot of PTSD, bipolar patients
and they live among us. Maybe she flipped, maybe it was a psychotic
break or maybe she planned it.”