A’Court Upholds Death Sentence Of Kebbi Woman Who ‘Killed’ Husband

The Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, has upheld the death sentence imposed on a Kebbi woman, Farida Abubakar, for the murder of her ex-husband, Chief Magistrate Attahiru Muhammad-Ibrahim.

Abubakar was sentenced to death by hanging by the Kebbi State High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi in June 2024 after she was found guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, she filed an appeal marked CA/S/75C/2025 before the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division.

However, a three-member panel of the appellate court, presided over by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the lower court.

In his judgment, Justice Awotoye ruled that, “The appeal lacks merit. The court hereby affirms the conviction and sentence of the appellant as delivered by the High Court of Kebbi State on 03/06/2024.”

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Barrister Zainab Muhammad Jabbo of the Kebbi State Ministry of Justice, called 12 witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including the appellant’s extra-judicial statement.

Counsel to the appellant, Barrister A. N. Salau, argued that the trial court erred in law by convicting Abubakar on what he described as insufficient evidence.

The Court of Appeal, however, held that the evidence against her was “cogent and uncontroverted” and sufficient to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.