Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Supreme Court has overturned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to pardon Abuja housewife Maryam Sanda, reinstating the death sentence imposed on her for the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic altercation in 2017.
The ruling, delivered on Friday in Abuja, marks a significant judicial pushback against executive interference in ongoing criminal appeals.
Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 by an FCT High Court, a verdict later upheld by the Court of Appeal. President Tinubu had commuted the sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds, sparking widespread public debate.
In a 4–1 split decision, the Supreme Court affirmed the original death penalty, ruling that the presidential pardon was invalid because the case was still undergoing appellate review when the pardon was issued.
Justice Moore Adumein, delivering the lead judgement, said the prosecution had “proved the case beyond reasonable doubt,” adding that both the High Court and Court of Appeal reached the correct legal conclusion. He held that the executive arm “acted outside constitutional boundaries” by intervening in a matter still before the courts.
“It is wrong for the Executive to attempt to exercise pardon in a case of culpable homicide where an appeal is pending,” Justice Adumein said, stressing that separation of powers must be preserved to protect judicial integrity.
The apex court dismissed Sanda’s appeal for lack of merit, ruling that all her grounds of challenge failed. The judgment effectively reinstates the original death sentence, bringing a dramatic end to one of Nigeria’s most publicised domestic homicide cases.
The ruling is expected to rekindle national debates on presidential pardon powers, judicial independence, and Nigeria’s application of capital punishment.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 