Supreme Court Affirms Death Sentence On Maryam Sanda

The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence passed on Maryam Sanda, who killed her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute eight years ago.

Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband by the lower court in 2020 but President Bola Tinubu had reduced her sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate ground.

The apex court, in a split decision of four-to-one, affirmed the death sentence handed Sanda by the Court of Appeal, Abuja which upheld the decision of a HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sentencing her to death by hanging.

The court resolved all the issues raised in the appeal she filed against her and dismissed the appeal for being without merit.

Justice Moore Adumein, held in the lead judgment, which he personally delivered, that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt as required, adding that the Court of Appeal was right to have affirmed the judgement of the trial court.

Justice Adumein held that it was wrong for the Executive to seek to exercise its power of pardon over a case of culpable homicide, in respect of which an appeal was pending.