Court Upholds Death Sentence In Sanda Case Despite Pardon

The Supreme Court in Abuja has upheld the death sentence handed to Maryam Sanda for the killing of her husband, Bilyamin Bello, despite a sentence reduction earlier approved by President Bola Tinubu.

The ruling was delivered on Friday by a panel of five justices.

Maryam Sanda was convicted for the 2017 killing of her husband at their Abuja home and sentenced to death by an FCT High Court in January 2020. The Court of Appeal later affirmed the judgment, leaving the case to be decided by the apex court.

The matter resurfaced after the President reduced her sentence to 12 years while her appeal was still pending. The Supreme Court ruled that the presidential action did not remove its authority to hear the case or give a final decision on the conviction and sentence.

In a split decision, four justices agreed that prosecutors proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt. The court said the evidence showed deliberate action and found no reason to overturn the findings of the two lower courts, while one justice dissented.

The court also dismissed claims that child welfare laws should shield her from capital punishment. It held that there was no proof she was pregnant or nursing at the time she was sentenced, and that such laws do not excuse criminal responsibility.

By its ruling, the Supreme Court confirmed that the death sentence remains valid under the law. The judgment has renewed public debate on the limits of executive clemency when criminal appeals are still before the courts.