The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has dismissed reports that Maryam Sanda, recently convicted for murdering her husband, was granted presidential pardon last week alongside some other inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.
The NCoS’s spokesperson, Austin Njoku, in a statement on Thursday, debunked the story, describing it as “ fake, very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.”
Recall that as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, on April 9, granted a presidential pardon to 2,600 inmates nationwide to decongest the prisons.
In the statement, Njoku maintained that Sanda was not part of those granted amnesty by the President as she did not meet any of the requirements for the release.
The statement read: “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.
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“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: 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 have 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.
“The Controller General of Corrections Ja’afaru Ahmed wishes to assure the public that the Service ensures the safety and humane containment of the inmates in our custody and therefore advice the public to discountenance the rumour that Maryam Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon.”
