Supreme court voids Tinubu’s clemency, reinstates Maryam Sanda’s death sentence

Story by Okafor Vivian 

The Supreme Court has set aside President Bola Tinubu’s decision to commute the death sentence of Maryam Sanda, ruling that the President acted beyond his constitutional powers by granting clemency while her appeal was still pending before the courts.

In a landmark judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court held that the Executive cannot exercise the power of mercy in a case that has not reached its final judicial conclusion. The court subsequently reinstated Sanda’s death sentence, which had earlier been reduced to a 12-year jail term by the President.

Sanda was convicted in 2020 by an FCT High Court for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, a case that drew widespread national attention. Her conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal before the matter progressed to the Supreme Court.

READ ALSO: Tinubu removes Maryam Sanda from presidential pardon list after public outcry

President Tinubu’s decision to commute her sentence earlier this year sparked public debate and strong reactions from the victim’s family and civil society groups. The Supreme Court, in its ruling, emphasized that clemency granted during the pendency of an appeal undermines the authority of the judiciary and violates constitutional boundaries.

With the latest ruling, Sanda’s original death sentence stands reinstated as the final verdict in the case.

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