The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda, daughter-in-law of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the killing of her husband, Bilyamin Bello.
Sanda was originally convicted on January 27, 2020, by an Abuja High Court for fatally stabbing Bello at their Maitama residence in 2017 and was sentenced to death by hanging.
She spent nearly seven years at the Suleja Correctional Centre before President Bola Tinubu granted her clemency, reducing the sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), defended her inclusion in the pardon, citing “compassionate grounds and the best interest of the children,” as well as her record of good conduct, remorse, and model behavior.
However, in a split 4–1 decision, a five-member Supreme Court panel reinstated the original death sentence, dismissing her appeal in its entirety. The court ruled that Sanda failed to demonstrate any error in the concurrent findings of the lower courts.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein stated that the prosecution had proven the charge beyond reasonable doubt and affirmed that the Court of Appeal correctly upheld the conviction.
The apex court also criticized President Tinubu’s intervention, ruling that it was inappropriate for the Executive to grant clemency in a homicide case while an appeal was still pending.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, the original death sentence handed down by the trial court now stands.
