The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the death sentence handed down to Abuja-based house wife, Maryam Sanda, who was in 2020 sentenced for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.
The judgment overrides the pardon granted her by President Bola Tinubu, which reduced her sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate ground.
In a split decision of four-to-one, the apex court 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 apex court resolved all the issues raised in the appeal she filed against her and dismissed the appeal for being without merit.
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Justice Moore Adumein held in the lead judgement, 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.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had explained that her inclusion in the recent presidential pardon was based on “compassionate ground and in the best interest of the children,” listing some of the qualities that earned her clemency to include “good conduct, embraced new lifestyle, model to prisoners and remorsefulness.”
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
