Supreme Court Nullifies Tinubu’s Pardon, Reinstates Death Sentence on Maryam Sanda
The Supreme Court has set aside the presidential pardon earlier granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Abuja housewife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.
In a landmark judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court, in a 4–1 split decision, affirmed the death sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which had earlier validated the ruling of an FCT High Court.
President Tinubu had previously commuted Sanda’s sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate grounds, a decision that sparked wide public debate. However, the Supreme Court held that the Executive had acted outside its powers by intervening while the matter was still undergoing judicial review.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein ruled that the prosecution had convincingly established its case against Sanda beyond reasonable doubt. He maintained that both the trial court and the Court of Appeal were right in their findings, stressing that the evidence presented supported the conviction for culpable homicide.
Justice Adumein further stated that it was legally improper for the President to exercise the power of pardon in a case where an appeal was still pending, noting that such action undermines the judiciary’s role and violates constitutional boundaries between the arms of government.
With all issues resolved against Sanda, the Supreme Court dismissed her appeal for lacking merit, effectively restoring the original sentence handed down in 2020.