SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS MARYAM SANDA’S DEATH SENTENCE, SAYS PENDING APPEAL MADE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON INEFFECTIVE

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence handed to Maryam Sanda for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, concluding a case that has drawn national attention for more than seven years.

Sanda was convicted by an FCT High Court in 2020 for fatally stabbing her husband during a domestic dispute in Abuja. The Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction in 2022, prompting her final appeal to the Supreme Court.

During Friday’s proceedings, Sanda’s legal team urged the apex court to set aside the sentence on the strength of a presidential pardon previously extended to her by President Bola Tinubu. However, the court proceeded to determine the appeal and ultimately affirmed the death verdict.

Legal experts noted that contrary to widespread public interpretation, the Supreme Court did not overturn or invalidate the presidential pardon. Instead, they explained that the pardon had no legal effect at the time it was issued because Sanda’s appeal was still pending before the court.

Under Nigerian law, an appeal must reach its final conclusion before presidential clemency can take effect, as a pardon applies only to a conviction that has become fully settled and no longer subject to judicial review.

With Friday’s ruling, the Supreme Court has brought the matter to a close, reinstating the sentence imposed by the lower courts and clarifying the true legal position surrounding the attempted application of executive mercy.

Sanda’s case has been one of the most closely followed criminal trials in recent years, touching on issues of domestic violence, executive powers, and the limits of presidential pardon within Nigeria’s constitutional framework.