The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the pardon granted by President Bola Tinubu to Maryam Sanda and upheld the death sentence earlier issued by lower courts.
Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the Court of Appeal was right to affirm the trial court’s decision.
He stated that the Executive could not exercise pardon powers in a culpable homicide case that was still under appeal.
The Supreme Court resolved all issues raised in Sanda’s appeal against her and dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
Read also: Debates trail Tinubu’s clemency for Sanda, who killed her husband
In a four-to-one split decision, the Court affirmed the death sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal, which had earlier confirmed the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sentencing her to death by hanging.
President Tinubu had recently reduced Sanda’s sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds, a move now nullified by the Supreme Court.
