Maryam Sanda case resurfaces

The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS has claimed to have not released Maryam Sanda.

NCS denied reports that Maryam Sanda had been granted a Presidential pardon, and released from the Medium Security Custodian Centre, Kuje.

Last week, Maryam was said to have been granted presidential pardon alongside 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

The NCoS’s spokesperson, Austin Njoku in a statement on Thursday discredited the rumour. He described the report as fake and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.

The statement said “The Service wants to categorically state that the news is fake and very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centre.”

“While addressing the press conference last week, the Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty includes: Convicts who are Sixty (60) years and above, Convicts serving 3 years and above with less than 6 months to serve, Inmates with ill-health likely to terminate in death, Inmates with mental ill-health, Inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case, Convicted pregnant women, Convicted women with child, Convicted inmates with minor offences and Convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission.”

“It is obvious that Maryam Sanda did not meet any of the above mentioned requirements and therefore did not benefit from the presidential pardon/clemency.

“We further want to assure the public that Maryam Sanda is in our custody and will remain as such.”

On 27 January, 2020 Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court of Federal Capital Territory for killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello.

She then appealed against the judgement of the High Court that convicted and sentenced her to death by hanging.

The mother of two who was found guilty of stabbing her husband to death at their Abuja residence in 2017, claimed she was denied fair hearing by the trial court.