The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda, daughter-in-law of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, for the murder of her husband. A panel of five judges voted 4 to 1 to reject Sanda’s appeal and confirmed the earlier court decision that she should be sentenced to death for causing someone’s death.

Justice Moore Adumein, who gave the main judgment, said the prosecution clearly proved that Sanda was guilty. The Supreme Court agreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold her death sentence and rejected all the arguments she raised in her appeal.

Sanda was sentenced to death on January 27, 2020, by an Abuja High Court after being found guilty of stabbing and killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, in their Abuja home in 2017. The Supreme Court also criticized President Bola Tinubu, saying it was wrong for him to grant a pardon in a homicide case while the case was still being appealed in court.

However, despite the legal proceedings, President Tinubu had exercised his clemency powers to reduce Sanda’s sentence to 12 years, taking into account the six years and eight months she had already served at Suleja prison.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said Sanda was included in the presidential pardon for compassionate reasons, especially because of her children. He said she behaved well in prison, changed her lifestyle, positively influenced other inmates, and showed remorse all of which, in his view, justified granting her mercy.

The case has raised questions about the separation of powers and whether presidents should issue pardons while court cases are still ongoing.