Supreme Court Sets Aside Presidential Pardon, Reinstates Maryam Sanda’s Death Sentence

✍️ By Teju/ December 12, 2025/ 12:23pm

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has overturned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pardon for Maryam Sanda, a woman convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, and reinstated her death sentence. The apex court’s decision marks a dramatic legal reversal and a reaffirmation of judicial authority over executive clemency. 

Maryam Sanda, an Abuja-based housewife, was convicted by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for stabbing her husband to death during a domestic dispute. The sentence, death by hanging, was later upheld by the Court of Appeal. In late October, President Tinubu had exercised his constitutional power of prerogative of mercy to reduce her sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds, citing her conduct in prison, remorse, and the welfare of her children. 

However, in Friday’s ruling, the Supreme Court,  in a 4-1 split decision, set aside the presidential clemency, declaring that it was improper for the executive to pardon Sanda while her appeal was still pending before the courts. The justices agreed that the prosecution had proven her guilt beyond reasonable doubt and affirmed both the original death sentence and the appeals court’s reinforcement of that judgment. 

Justice Moore Adumein, delivering the leading judgment, explained that the Supreme Court’s role is to uphold the rule of law and that executive clemency cannot override a judicial process, especially when an appeal is underway. As a result, the apex court dismissed all issues raised in Sanda’s appeal as lacking merit. 

The decision has reignited discussions on the limits of presidential pardons and the balance of power between the executive and the judiciary in Nigeria’s constitutional framework. It also raises broader questions about how mercy and justice can coexist in the nation’s legal system, particularly in high-profile cases involving violent crime and complex family circumstances.

As the legal drama over Maryam Sanda’s fate unfolds, the Supreme Court’s ruling stands as a clear statement on the primacy of judicial authority in criminal justice, a ruling that may shape future debates on executive clemency and the rule of law in Nigeria.