The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the death sentence of Maryam Sanda, who was convicted of stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death in 2017. In a split decision of four to one, the apex court dismissed Sanda’s appeal, ruling that the prosecution had proven her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sanda was initially sentenced to death by hanging by an Abuja High Court in January 2020, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal. Earlier this year, President Bola Tinubu reduced her sentence to 12 years on compassionate grounds, citing her good conduct and the welfare of her children. However, the Supreme Court deemed the pardon “wrong,” emphasizing that an appeal was still pending.
Justice Moore Adumein, delivering the lead judgment, stressed that the executive’s power of pardon shouldn’t interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings in capital cases. Sanda’s legal team had argued she was a nursing mother at the time, invoking the Child Rights Act, but the court found no evidence to support this claim ¹ ².
The decision has sparked discussions on the interplay between executive clemency and judicial authority in Nigeria.
