Maryam Sanda still in custody, Nigeria Correctional Service insists

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has debunked the news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda was granted presidential pardon last week Thursday April 9, alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has debunked the news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda was granted presidential pardon last week Thursday April 9, alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

In a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Augustine Njoku the service described the news as fake and very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.

“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.”

Njoku recalled that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during a press conference in Abuja last week clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty.

According go the Minister, 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 and inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case.

Others include; convicted pregnant women, convicted women with child, convicted inmates with minor offences, convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission.

The Minister insisted that inmates sentenced for violent extreme offences such as terrorism, Kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and the likes are not qualified for the Presidential Pardon.

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Njoku said it was 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.” The statement reads

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