No Pardon has been Granted to Maryam Sanda, Presidency Says

Maryam Sanda and Bilyamin Bello

In case you were wondering if Maryam Sanda is now a free woman due to the recent presidential pardon granted to various inmates across the country, well here’s the truth:

The presidency has refuted reports that Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in January for killing her husband, has been granted a presidential pardon by Muhammadu Buhari.

Reports making the rounds on social media had claimed that Sanda was among convicts recently granted a pardon by President Buhari, but the president’s special assistant on new media, Bashir Ahmad, has described the reports as fake news. Maryam Sanda had been sentenced to death by hanging after she was found guilty for the murder of her late husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Rumors of Sanda’s alleged pardon came less than a week after President Buhari granted pardon to about 2,605 inmates as part of efforts to decongest prisons in the country to curb the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

The news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda, a murder convict, was granted presidential pardon is FAKE, very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of President Buhari towards decongesting the custodial centres, National Correctional Service says in a statement

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) April 16, 2020

Maryam Sanda NOT granted presidential pardon, Correctional Service says. pic.twitter.com/ZAWQ0iGhyR

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) April 16, 2020