Court Sentences Housewife To Death For Murdering Ex-Husband

 Abubakar was arraigned on murder charges on August 25, 2022, with the main charge filed on July 26, 2023. According to the prosecution, Abubakar fatally stabbed Muhammad-Ibrahim in the abdomen, neck, and left arm.

In his judgment, Justice Umar Abubakar, the Chief Judge of the state, stated that the court was convinced of the defendant’s guilt based on the prosecution’s evidence.

“The defendant was last seen with the deceased in his house in Birnin Kebbi, and shortly after, he was found dead. Circumstantial evidence linked the defendant to the offense,” he said.

Justice Umar Abubakar emphasized that the prosecution had proven the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

He cited the extra-judicial statement of the accused and the testimony of 12 prosecution witnesses as compelling evidence.

“Her hijab was found smeared with blood. It was her intention to kill him. She knew death would be the consequence of her action.

The offence was committed at a time when the deceased was about to marry a new wife,” the judge stated.

The court found Abubakar guilty of culpable homicide and bodily harm, sentencing her to death by hanging in accordance with section 191(b) of the penal code law of Kebbi State.

Additionally, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for causing bodily harm under section 224(1) of the same penal code.

In mitigation, defense counsel Mudashiru Sani, holding brief for Abdulnasir Sallau, described Abubakar as a first-time offender with aged parents and a young daughter in need of her care.

He pleaded for a lighter sentence, allowing her to eventually return to society as a reformed individual.

However, the prosecuting counsel, Lawal Hudu-Garba, Director of Public Prosecution in the state Ministry of Justice, urged the court to impose the full penalty to serve as a deterrent to others.

After the judgment, defense counsel Sani announced plans to appeal the verdict.