Maryam Sanda: Tinubu Wrong, Death Sentence Stands – Supreme Court
The Supreme Court, on Friday, reaffirmed the death sentence that was handed to Maryam Sanda by Abuja high court had, on January 27, 2020.
The lower court had sentenced her to death by hanging after she was found guilty of stabbing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, to death at their Abuja residence in 2017.
The convict had gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge the lower court’s verdict but lost, and instantly headed to the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the death sentence.
In spite of the pending case at the Supreme Court, President Bola Tinubu, in the exercise of his executive powers, reduced Maryam Sanda’s total sentence to 12 years.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had argued 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.”
However, on Friday, four of the five panel of justices of the apex court reaffirmed the judgement that ordered her death by hanging.
The court resolved all the issues she raised in her bid to set aside her conviction and sentence, and dismissed her appeal 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 every reasonable doubt.
It also held that the Court of Appeal’s decision that upheld the sentence passed by the trial court was unassailable.
The Supreme Court held that it was wrong for President Tinubu, being the head of the executive arm of the government, to seek to exercise his powers to grant pardon over a case of culpable homicide, in respect of which an appeal was pending.
