Supreme Court Restores Death Sentence For Maryam Sanda After Overriding Tinubu’s Pardon

The Supreme Court has voided the presidential pardon earlier granted to Abuja housewife Maryam Sanda, restoring the death sentence she received in 2020 for k!lling her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.

President Bola Tinubu had previously commuted her sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds.

But in a split 4–1 ruling delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court reinstated the original death verdict, agreeing with the Court of Appeal and the FCT High Court, which both upheld the conviction.

The court dismissed Sanda’s appeal in its entirety, ruling that all issues she raised lacked merit.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein held that prosecutors had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, and faulted the Executive for attempting to grant a pardon while the matter was still under appeal.