Connect with us

News

Presidential Pardon: Why Maryam Sanda, 85 convicts got lesser sentences– AGF

Published

11 hours ago

on

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Latest Fagbemi (SAN), given reasons why President Tinubu reviewed the list of 175 convicts that were initially penciled down for presidential pardon.

In a statement released, the Attorney-General said the review was to ensure that only persons that met stipulated legal and procedural requirements benefitted from the prerogative of mercy.

“During this final review, few persons earlier recommended were found not to have met the necessary requirements and were accordingly delisted, while in some other cases, sentences were reviewed and reduced to reflect fairness, justice, and the spirit of the exercise” the statement reads

Earlier today, the Presidency released the final list of persons that were granted clemency. According to the list released, 86 persons whose sentences were reduced by President Tinubu, included Maryam Sanda, the daughter in-law of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was facing the capital punishment for culpable homicide.

An Abuja high court had on January 27, 2020, sentenced Maryam to death by hanging after she was found guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, to death at their Abuja residence in 2017.

Though she has been at the Suleja prison for six years and eight months, with the presidential pardon, FG reduced her total sentence to 12 years, “based on compassionate ground, in the best interest of the children, good conduct, embraced new lifestyle, model to prisoners and remorsefulness.”

Also in the list included one Chukwukelu Sunday Calistus, whose life imprisonment for drug related offences was reduced to 20 years after he had spent 11 years in prison.

Yusuf Owolabi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 for manslaughter, also had his punishment reduced to 15 years after he had served for 10 years, while Ifeanyi Eze who was facing a similar punishment over the same offence, also got his sentence reduced to 15 years after his four years stay in prison.

Another convict that was facing life imprisonment for armed robbery and possession of illegal firearm, Mallam Ibrahim Sulaiman, was okayed to stay in prison for only 15 years having already served for two years.

Other beneficiaries included one Samson Ajayi who bagged 15-year jail term in 2022. His sentence was reduced to 10 years, while Alhaji Abubakar Tanko had his 30 years sentence for culpable homicide reduced to 20 years after he had served for seven years.

One Nnamdi Anene who was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life imprisonment for illegal dealing of arms, was pardoned to serve only 20 years.

Other convicts on the list were sentenced for lesser offences that included unlawful mining, conspiracy to hijack fishing vessel, forgery, obtaining by false pretence, possession of cannabis, fraud, and criminal breach of trust.

The beneficiaries were said to have been remorseful, of good conduct in the prison, acquired vocational skills, or improved their education.

Similarly, in three other separate lists, FG disclosed that whereas 15 persons were granted clemency, 15 others that included Saro Wiwa and Herbert Macaulay, were listed as those that got pardoned, while four others had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

                  

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 37
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Names, profiles of 16 Nigerian military officers detained for alleged coup plot. . .

Published

1 hour ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

Profiles of officers in detention over alleged coup plot

1.Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq
Born on 3 January 1974, Mr Sadiq is a brigadier general with service number N/10321, trained as an NDA cadet between 14 August 1992 and 20 September 1997. He is suspected to be the leader of the coup plot.
As a member of Regular Course 44, Mr Sadiq, an indigene of Nasarawa State, rose through the ranks, becoming a colonel in 2015 and a brigadier four years later. He belongs to the infantry corps.

This is not the first time Mr Sadiq has made headlines for alleged gross misconduct. In October 2024, he was reportedly detained for “alleged diversion of rice palliatives, selling of military equipment, including generator sets and operational vehicles to scrap yards.” Among other postings, the officer served as Commander of the 3rd Brigade in Kano and Garrison Commander of the 81 DivisionArmythe Army in Lagos.

2. Colonel M.A. Ma’aji
Mr Ma’aji is a colonel with service number N/10668. Born on 1st March 1976, the Nupe native from Niger State started training on 18 August 1995 and finished on 16 September 2000. Investigators suspect he played the role of a key strategist for the coup plot

A member of the infantry corps, Mr Ma’aji was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2013, becoming a full colonel four years later. The 49-year-old officer was the Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army based in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
He took part in Operation Crocodile Smile II, a Nigerian Army military exercise conducted in 2017 to address security challenges in the Niger Delta and parts of the South-west. He also served at Depot, Nigerian Army and later as Commander, Operation Delta Safe.
He was a member of the 47 Regular Course of the NDA.

3. Lt. Colonel S. Bappah
Mr Bappah, a member of the Nigerian Army Signals Corps, with service number N/13036, is from Bauchi State in North-East Nigeria. He was born on 21 June 1984.
The 41-year-old officer started his cadet training on 27 September 2004 and completed it on 4 October 2008.
He is a member of the 56 Regular Course of the NDA

4. Lt Colonel A.A. Hayatu
Mr Hayatu, now a lieutenant colonel with service number N/13038, hails from Kaduna State.
Born on 13 August 1983, he underwent his cadet training between 27 September 2004 and 04 October 2008.

A member of the infantry corps, Mr Hayatu also belonged to the 56 Regular Course.

5. P. Dangnap
Mr Dangnap is from Plateau State. He was born on 1 April 1986. In 2015, he was court-martialed alongside 29 others for offences related to the fight against Boko Haram.
The 39-year-old officer, with service number N/13025 began his cadet training on 27 September 2004 and completed it on 4 October 2008.
An infantry corps officer, Mr Dangnap is also a member of the 56 Regular Course of the NDA.

6. Lt. Colonel M. Almakura
A member of the 56 Regular Course, Mr Al Makura, a lieutenant colonel from Nasarawa State, was born on 18 March 1983.
The infantry corps officer with service number N/12983 trained as a cadet at the NDA from 27 September 2004 to 4 October 2008.

7. Major A. J Ibrahim
Mr Ibrahim, a major with service number N/13065, hails from Gombe State.
Born on 12 June 1987, the Infantry Corps officer trained between 27 September 2004 and 4 October 2008.
He was a member of the 56 Regular Course, and he became a captain in 2013.

8. Major M.M. Jiddah
An indigene of Katsina State, Major Jiddah, was born on 9 July 1985.
He trained between 27 September 2004 and 4 October 2008.

Mr Jiddah is an infaArmy officer and a member of the 56 Regular Course.
His service number is N/13003.

9. Major M.A. Usman
Mr Usman is a Nigerian Army major with service number N/15404.

He was born on 1 April 1989. He hails from the Federal Capital Territory, in North-central Nigeria.
A member of the 60th Regular Course, the infantry officer trained as a cadet at the NDA between 16 August 2008 and 14 September 2012.

10. Major D. Yusuf
Mr Yusuf, a major with service number N/14753, is a member of the Ordnance Corps.
He was born on 26 May 1988. As a member of the 59th Regular Course, Mr Yusuf trained at NDA between 7 July 2007 and 8 September 2012.
The officer hails from Gombe State.

11. Major I. Dauda
Mr Dauda joined the army through the Direct Short Service Commissions.
Born on 26 November 1983, the infantry officer with service number N/13625, trained between 5 June 2009 and 27 March 2010.
Mr Dauda, who hails from Jigawa, is a member of Short Service Commission Course 38.

As of press time, details about the remaining five officers listed below are sketchy. They are also being detained for alleged involvement in the coup plot. Below is a little information about them:

12. Captain Ibrahim Bello
Mr Bello is a captain with service number N/16266. He was born on 28 July 1987. He is a member of the Direct Short Service Commission Course 43.

13. Captain A.A Yusuf
He is an army captain with service number N/16724.

14. Lieutenant S.S Felix
A lieutenant with service number N/18105.

15. Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi
He is a Nigerian Navy personnel with service number NN/3289.

16. Squandron Leader S. B Adamu
An Air Force squadron leader with service number NAF/3481.

Source: Premium Times 

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 19
Continue Reading

News

Israeli raid kills municipal worker in Lebanon

Published

9 hours ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

Israeli troops killed a Lebanese municipal worker on Thursday during a raid on a border village in the south, state media reported.

Despite a November 2024 ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Israel maintains troops in five areas in southern Lebanon and has continued regular air strikes, which have recently intensified.

“In a grave and unprecedented attack, an Israeli enemy force penetrated the village of Blida at nearly 1:30 a.m. (1130 GMT), more than one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the border, supported by a number of vehicles,” Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

“The force stormed the Blida municipality building, where employee Ibrahim Salameh was sleeping, and enemy soldiers proceeded to kill him,” it added.

Village residents cited by the NNA said the raid lasted several hours, and that Israeli forces withdrew at dawn.

In the nearby border village of Adaisseh, the NNA reported that Israeli forces blew up a hall used for religious ceremonies at dawn.

In recent days, Israel has stepped up its strikes on Lebanon, often claiming to target Hezbollah positions.

On Tuesday, the spokesman for the UN rights commission, Jeremy Laurence, said Israeli forces had killed 111 civilians in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect.

Hezbollah was badly weakened during more than a year of conflict with Israel, and the United States has intensified pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the Iran-backed group.

On Wednesday, during a meeting of ceasefire monitors in the Lebanese border city of Naqoura, US envoy Morgan Ortagus said Washington welcomed the “decision to bring all weapons under state control by the end of the year.”

“The Lebanese army must now fully implement its plan,” she added.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 42
Continue Reading

News

Fire guts store at Abuja mall

Published

9 hours ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

A fire incident occurred at the Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja in the early hours of Thursday.

The cause of the fire, which started around 3am, could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Our correspondent gathered that only the Adidas Sports shop was affected.

It was further gathered that firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, the Berger Fire Department, and the FCT Fire Service, as well as police officers, were deployed to the scene.

A resident of Jabi, Saliu, who informed our correspondent of the incident, said the fire had been contained.

He said, “Around 3am., this morning, there was a fire incident at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja. No loss of life or injury was recorded. Only the Adidas Sports shop was affected by the fire.”

The FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

Adeh said police officers were deployed to the location to secure the area and prevent looting.

“We received a distress call at about 3:40 a.m. We immediately deployed our men there to secure the place and prevent any breach of public order,” she said.

PUNCH Online earlier reported the fire incident that rocked the Old Karu market in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

The fire, which destroyed goods worth millions of naira, was put to an end by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service.

Post Views: 62
Continue Reading

Trending