Supreme Court reinstates Maryam Sanda’s death sentence, rejects clemency
The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Maryam Sanda for the murder of her husband, overturning the clemency previously granted by Bola Tinubu. The court ruled on June 7, 2024, that the executive’s intervention was inappropriate as the appeal was still pending. Maryam Sanda was originally convicted in January 2020 and had her sentence commuted to 12 years before this latest decision. The ruling means her original death sentence now stands.
What we know
- Maryam Sanda was convicted on January 27, 2020, for fatally stabbing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, in 2017.
- She spent over six years in prison before Bola Tinubu granted her clemency, reducing her sentence to 12 years.
- The Supreme Court, in a 4-1 split decision on June 7, 2024, reinstated her death sentence.
- The court criticized the executive’s clemency, stating it was inappropriate while an appeal was pending.
- The original death sentence by the trial court is now back in effect following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
