The Supreme Court has set aside President Bola Tinubu’s recent pardon of Abuja housewife Maryam Sanda and reinstated the death sentence imposed on her for the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
Sanda was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 following a domestic dispute that led to Bello’s death. The Court of Appeal later upheld the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
President Tinubu had reduced her sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds, according to a statement from the presidency.
However, in a four-to-one decision delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the presidential pardon could not stand and affirmed the original death sentence.
Justice Moore Adumein, who read the lead judgment, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the Court of Appeal was right to uphold the trial court’s ruling.
The apex court dismissed Sanda’s appeal in its entirety, describing it as lacking merit.