Mother of alleged ‘killer wife’, 2 others docked over murder of ex-PDP chairman’s son

ICPC threatens to obtain bench warrant against Maimuna Aliyu

An Abuja High Court yesterday refused the bail application of‎ Maryam Sanda, who allegedly murdered her husband, Bilyamin Bello, the son of a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Federal Government had earlier in the day arraigned Sanda, her mother, Maimuna Aliyu who was a former Director with Aso Savings and Loans and two other family members over the alleged murder of Bilyamin.

The court, on the other hand, admitted the three other defendants to bail‎.

This was just as the Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC yesterday also threatened to obtain a bench warrant against Maimuna who was scheduled for arraignment before another court yesterday over alleged fraud.

Maimuna was however not present in the court where she was supposed to be arraigned for alleged fraud owing to her joinder in a murder case.

Maryam was alleged to have stabbed his husband Bilyaminu with a dangerous weapon on November 19 in Abuja.

Maimuna, and two others, Aliyu Sanda and Sadia Aminu were alleged to have tampered with evidence of the said offence.

The prosecuting agency, Nigerian Police arraigned the defendants on two counts criminal charge.

The first count of the charge which bothers on murder and culpable homicide was directed ‎at Maryam who has an eight-month-old baby, while the second count bothering on conceding true information from the police and tampering with evidence was targeted at the three other defendants.

The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

Prosecuting Counsel, James Idachaba, however, prayed the court for a date for commencement of trial.

Defense Counsel, J.B Daudu SAN brought an application praying the court to admit the defendants to bail pending trial.

Prosecution counsel, however, opposed the application for bail.

Ruling on the bail application for Maryam, the trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu held that the applicant did not give an exceptional circumstance to warrant the court to exercise its discretion in her favour.

He noted that the defence counsel in his submission stated Maryam is having a life-threatening sickness which cannot be taken care of by the prison facility.

The court however held that the applicant did not present a proof that such sickness cannot be handled by the prison facility.

On the second ground canvassed by Daudu that Maryam is having an eight-month-old baby, the court held that such factor cannot be a ground for the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the defendant.

The court consequently refused the bail application for Maryam.

For other three defendants, the court noted that since they have been on police administrative bail, it sees no reason why bail should not be granted in their favour.

Justice Halilu, however, granted the three other defendants bail with two sureties with evidence of residence in Abuja.

He added that such sureties must submit their travel documents to the registrar of the court and also the title documents of their landed properties.

The court added that such documents will be verified and authenticated.

The court later adjourned till February 5,6,7 and 8, 2017 for the commencement of trial.

Meanwhile, the ICPC yesterday said that it may be forced to apply for a bench warrant against Maimuna who was a former Director at the Aso Savings and Loans‎ so as to come and face her trial over alleged fraud.

Maimuna was meant to be arraigned before‎ Justice Mero Nasiru of Court 16 but she was not in attendance.

The court was however informed that the defendant was before Justice Yusuf Halilu of Court 32 to answer to a murder case where she was joined as a co-defendant, alongside her daughter.

The court, however, frowned at such act, saying in order hierarchy, the defendant ought to have appeared before it first and not the other way round.

Justice Nasiru, however, adjourned till January 11, 2018.

Speaking after the adjournment, prosecuting counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha expressed the displeasure of the Commission on the development.

He stated that the defendant is trying to avoid her trial.

“At the last adjourned date, her counsel, J.K Gadzama SAN came to court and said he will bring his client in person to court. But today, Gadzama was not in court, the defendant was not in court. You can bear me witness that the court also frowned at what they did. The court also mentioned that the court which the defendant chose to go to is junior is hierarchy.

“The defendant is not ready to stand trial‎. We know that criminal offence, they are the same. The end result is a conviction. That is all. The court said ICPC should do the needful. I don’t know the needful. Because, ICPC is naked. It is only the court that can empower us with a bench warrant. That is the usual practice. The court has that power. I asked for a weapon to go after the defendant, but the judge declined. So what do we do?

“We will try our best. If we can’t bring her, we will still come and tell the court. Somebody undertook to bring her and the person did not bring her. The court did not make any reference as to why that person did not come and tell the court the reasons why his undertaken is not fulfilled. As far as I am concerned, the prosecution is not a spirit, we are human beings. We will try our best.

“Assuming the court has given us a bench warrant, it is very simple, we will just walk up to the court she is, and then pick her, and then go and dump her somewhere till January 11, so that she will know that it is very bad to disobey court summons” he stated.

The Federal Government had slammed a three-count charge on the defendant bothering on diversion of about N57 million belonging to Aso Savings and Loans for her personal use.

The FG alleged that Maimuna Aliyu on the 7th of December, 2012 or thereabout in Abuja, being the Executive Director (Retail) of Aso Savings and Loan Plc, Abuja at the time, used her said position to confer corrupt advantage upon herself when she received the sum of about ‎360,000 dollars, the equivalent of N57 million at the time being the amount for the sale of Plots Nos 2432; and 2434 all in Cadastral Zone BO8, Jahi District, Abuja property of Aso Saving and Loans Plc: from one Banagana Bashir on behalf of Vincent Msheila and you failed to remit the said amount to Aso Savings and Loans Plc as required: and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.