The internet is presently flooded with reports that Maryam Sanda, the woman convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband, had been granted a Presidential pardon.
Recall that on January 27, an FCT High Court in Maitama sentenced Sanda to death for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. Sanda killed her husband on November 19, 2017, through multiple stabbing.
However, the news of her release was widely circulated on different social media platforms on Thursday Maryam made the lists of those granted amnesty by President Muhammadu Buhari – the list released by Buhari reportedly covered five inmates and clemency to another 2,593 prisoners, had pardoned her.
TheNewsGuru decided to fact-check the report of presidential pardon given to Sanda as widely shared online.
MARY SANDA STILL IN CUSTODY: REACTION FROM NIGERIAN CORRECTIONAL SERVICE
A statement released by the NCoS spokesperson, Chucks Njoku on Sanda’s rumored release reads: “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 had clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty are: 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 and inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case.
“Others are: Convicted pregnant women, convicted women with child, convicted inmates with minor offences and convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission. Njoku said Sanda did not meet any of the 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,” he said, calling on the public to discountenance the rumor that Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon.
ANOTHER EVIDENCE: MARY SANDA UNQUALIFIED FOR PARDON
Apart from the statement released by NCos, another strong evidence why Maryam Sanda doesn’t qualify to be part of the programme is that Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had earlier disclosed at a World Press Conference organised by NCoS on Thursday 9th, April, 2020 stated in clear terms that the Buhari’s gesture is part of the recommendations of 2020 Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) and doesn’t extend to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and so on (Category Mary Sanda belongs to, having been convicted as a murder).
He said partly; “a total number of 2,600 inmates spread across our various custodial centres qualify to benefit from the amnesty. These include 885 convicts who could not pay their fines totalling N21.4 million which the government will pay on their behalf to enable them get their freedom. “From this number, 41 inmates are federal convicts, two of which have been granted pardon.” He also said five ex-convicts recommended for presidential pardon have been so pardoned. “They are late Prof Ambrose Ali, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olanrewaju and Ajayi Olusola Babalola,” Aregbesola added. Prof Ali was the governor of the old Bendel State in the Second Republic (1978-1983) and a great progressive while Chief Enahoro was a foremost nationalist who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence. Aregbesola said the amnesty will not apply to inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and so on.
The two major points raised in this report show that the popular views on social media, speculating that Maryam Sanda is walking free in the Nigerian society is apparently false.