A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama Monday, fixed January 27, 2020, to deliver judgment in the trial of Maryam Sanda, who allegedly killed her husband.
During the prolonged case, the woman Sanda was charged with the murder of Bilyaminu Bello, her husband and a son Haliru Bello, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman.
Also charged alongside accused was charged her mother, Maimuna Aliyu; her brother, Aliyu Sanda; and their house-help, Sadiya Aminu.
While the trial lasted, the accused persons were arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police in 2017 on a two-count charge bordering on culpable homicide and conspiracy.
Meanwhile, the three persons who were arraigned alongside Sanda for allegedly tampering with evidence by cleaning the crime scene have since been discharged.
Those discharged by the trial judge, Yusuf Halilu, are the second defendant (Sanda’s mother), the third defendant (her brother) and the fourth defendant (the housemaid).
In his ruling, Halilu held that the prosecution failed to show evidence proving that the second, third and fourth defendants actually perpetuated that act.
The judge thus struck out the case against them.
In his submission at the resumed trial on Monday, the lawyer representing the police, Fidelis Ogbobe, argued that the prosecution has proved the allegations levelled against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, alleging that Sanda caused the death of her husband by stabbing him.
He therefore urged the court to “convict the defendant and sentence her for it.”
In her own argument, Sanda’s lawyer, Regina Okotie-Eboh, argued that the prosecution failed to tender evidence to corroborate the allegations.
According to her, the prosecution did not call nurses or doctors from the hospital where the deceased was taken to as witnesses.
Again, Okotie-Eboh argued that they failed to tender the knife with which the defendant allegedly used to perpetrate the act adding: “No autopsy was carried out to ascertain the actual cause of Mr Bello’s death”
“The court only decides on a matter based on the evidence before it and not suspicions,” Okotie-Eboh argued further.
She pleaded the court urged the court to discharge and acquit her client.
After both counsels had exhausted their arguments on the matter, the judge went ahead and fixed January 27 for judgment on the matter.
