A Kano State High Court has sentenced a 19-year-old woman, Saudat Jibrin, to death by hanging for the murder of her husband, Salisu Idris, nine days after their wedding.
Justice Maryam Sabo delivered the judgment on Thursday, holding that the prosecution proved the charge of culpable homicide against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
“I hereby sentence Saudat Jibrin to death by hanging for culpable homicide. You have 90 days to appeal,” the judge ruled.
The prosecution counsel, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, told the court that the incident occurred on May 5, 2025, at Farawa Quarters in Kano.
According to the prosecutor, Jibrin allegedly laced her husband’s “Zoho” drink with a harmful substance before attacking him with a knife at about 9 p.m., barely nine days after their marriage.
“The defendant poisoned the deceased’s drink before cutting his throat with a knife, leading to his death,” Abba-Sorondinki told the court.
He said the prosecution presented two witnesses whose testimonies and evidence established the charge against the defendant.
The offence, he added, contravened Section 221(a) of the Penal Code.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge throughout the trial.
Counsel to the convict, Abdulfatah Muhammad, urged the court to temper justice with mercy during sentencing.
He told the court that his client had become a changed person while in custody and had memorised the Holy Qur’an.
Muhammad also appealed to the court to consider her family circumstances, saying she is the eldest child of her parents and that her younger siblings depend on her for support.
Justice Sabo, however, ruled that the evidence before the court established the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced her to death by hanging.
West Trybe reports that under Nigeria’s Penal Code, culpable homicide punishable by death attracts the death penalty upon conviction. However, every convicted person retains the constitutional right to appeal the judgment before the sentence can be carried out.
