In a final ruling on Friday, December 11, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence handed to Maryam Sanda for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello Sanda.
Sanda was first sentenced to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, after an Abuja High Court convicted her of the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyamin Bello, whom she stabbed to death in 2017. After spending six years and eight months behind bars at Suleja prison, President Bola Tinubu utilized his executive authority to reduce her total sentence to 12 years.
Attorney General Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, justified the decision on ‘compassionate grounds and in the best interest of the children,’ highlighting her ‘good conduct’ and ‘remorsefulness’ as reasons for clemency.”
Meanwhile, a five-member panel of Supreme Court justices, in a four-to-one split judgment delivered on Friday, affirmed the judicial pronouncement ordering her execution by hanging. The court resolved all issues raised in her appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence, ultimately dismissing the case for want of merit. In the lead verdict, delivered by Justice Moore Adumein, the apex court held that the prosecution had established her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It concluded that the Court of Appeal’s decision upholding the trial court’s sentence was unassailable.
The Supreme Court declared it improper for President Tinubu to intervene in a pending culpable homicide appeal with a presidential pardon, asserting the executive overstepped its bounds.
