The Supreme Court has struck down the pardon granted by President Bola Tinubu to Maryam Sanda, an Abuja-based housewife sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.
President Tinubu had in 2025 commuted Sanda’s death sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate grounds. However, in a split decision of four to one, the apex court on Friday reinstated the death penalty, affirming the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which had upheld the sentence handed down by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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The Supreme Court dismissed Sanda’s appeal, declaring it “without merit.” Justice Moore Adumein, who delivered the lead judgment, held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, and that the Court of Appeal was correct to affirm the trial court’s ruling.
Justice Adumein further stated that it was inappropriate for the Executive to exercise its power of pardon in a case involving culpable homicide while an appeal was still pending before the courts.
The ruling marks a rare override of a presidential pardon by the Supreme Court, highlighting the judiciary’s insistence on upholding due process in criminal cases involving capital punishment.
