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Maryam Sanda is innocent until proven guilty, but the media calls her Killer Wife

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Nigerian Police Force to transfer Maryam Sanda to Suleja Prison Custody till December 7, when a complete trial will commence but media houses seem to have reached a separate verdict on the matter as they have tagged the accused “Killer wife”, a tag they guise with inverted commas.

Justice Yusuf Halilu gave the remand order after Maryam was arraigned on a two-count charge of homicide punishable by death under section 221 of the Penal Code Law.

She was accused of killing her husband, late Bilyaminu Mohammed, the respected son of ex-PDP Chairman, Mohammed Bello Haliru, who has been buried according to Islamic rites.

Maryam Sanda, who is a nursing mother, pleaded not guilty to the charges, pleading the court to release her on bail pending the trial.

Justice Yusuf declined her plea, saying it was improper in the eyes of the law to release a defendant based on oral application.

He ordered the defence lawyer Useni Musa to approach the Court with a formal bail request.

Online news websites like Sahara Reporters, TheCable, Vanguard and funny named websites have titled Maryam Sanda ‘Killer Wife’, with lindaikejisblog addressing her as ‘husband killer’, even when the Court has not pronounced her guilty as accused.

Chapter four of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 36(5) states that “every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty.

Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts”.

Similarly, Article 7(1) (b) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1981 states that “Every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard. (b) The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty by a competent court or tribunal”.

The Court has not proven Maryam Sanda guilty as charged and as such, it is unlawful to give her such awful name, but Nigerian Journalists get away with libel.

It has become a norm in Nigeria for a suspect of a crime who has not been charged to court to be called names.

In crime watch programmes show, suspects are striped, humiliated and presented as guilty. Such programmes are sadly sponsored by the police and crafted by the media.

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