The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday affirmed the death penalty imposed on Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Mohammed Bello, in November 2017.

The federal government had arraigned Sanda and three others on a two-count charge bordering on culpable homicide.

She was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, by Yusuf Halilu, the trial judge.

Halilu said: “She should reap what she has sown, for it has been said that ‘thou shall not kill’ and whoever kills in cold blood deserves death as his own reward.”

READ ALSO:

Maryam Sanda Sentenced To Death By 'Hanging' For Killing Her Husband, Bilyaminu Bello

“Convict also clearly deserves to die, accordingly I hereby sentence Maryam Sanda to death by hanging until she dies.”

Maryam, a mother of two, had on February 19, 2020, filed a 20-ground notice of appeal, praying for an order discharging, and acquitting her.

She contended that the judgment convicting her was tainted by bias and prejudices resulting in her being denied her right to fair hearing.

She submitted that the judge relied on circumstantial evidence as there was “lack of confessional statement, absence of murder weapon, lack of corroboration of evidence by two or more witnesses and lack of autopsy report to determine the true cause of her husband’s death.”

She also submitted the trial judge “erred and misdirected himself by usurping the role of the police when he assumed the duty of an investigating police officer (IPO) as contained in page 76 of his judgment…”

But on Friday, the appellate court upheld the death sentence.