The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has countered speculations making the rounds that husband-killer, Maryam Sanda, has been surreptitiously released under President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent amnesty exercise
Sanda was recently sentenced to death for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death. She has since appealed the conviction.
In a statement by its spokesman, Chuks Austin Njoku, The NCoS said Sanda was still in the Service’s custody and did not merit release based on the conditions release released by government.
The NCoS statement reads in full: “The attention of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has been drawn to the news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda was granted presidential pardon last week Thursday April 9th, 2020 alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.
“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 centres.
“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:
1• Convicts who are Sixty (60) years and above
2• Convicts serving 3 years and above with less than 6 months to serve
3• Inmates with ill-health likely to terminate in death
4• Inmates with mental ill-health
5• Inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case 6• Convicted pregnant women
7• Convicted women with child
8• Convicted inmates with minor offences 9• Convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission.
“According to the Minister of Interior, inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and the like are not qualified for the Presidential Pardon.
“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.
“The Controller General of Corrections Ja’afaru Ahmed wishes to assure the public that the Service will ensure the safety and humane containment of the inmates in our custody and therefore advice the public to discountenance the rumor that Maryam Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon. “