Woman sentenced to death by hanging for killing ex-husband in Birnin Kebbi

A High Court in Birnin Kebbi on Monday sentenced a woman, Farida Abubakar, to death by hanging for killing her former husband, Chief Magistrate Attahiru Muhammad-Ibrahim.

It was gathered that Abubakar was arraigned before the court for murder on August 25, 2022, while the main charge was filed on July 26, 2023.

The prosecution said that the convict stabbed her ex-husband with a sharp object on his abdomen, neck and left arm, which led to his death .

Delivering judgment, the Chief Judge of the state, who adjudicated on the case, Justice Umar Abubakar, held that the court was convinced that the accused person committed the crime, based on the evidence adduced by the prosecution.

In mitigation, the defence counsel, Mudashiru Sani, holding brief for Abdulnasir Sallau, described the convict as a first time offender with aged parents.

The counsel said that the convict was her parents’ caregiver and also has a young daughter in need of motherly care.

He pleaded with the court to give the convict lighter sentence, so that she could finish her time and come back to the society as a reformed individual, considering her age.

In reply, the Prosecuting Counsel, who is the Director, Public Prosecution in the State Ministry of Justice, Lawal Hudu-Garba, enjoined the court to follow the letter of the law to serve as deterrent to others from committing the same offence.

Shortly after the judgment, the defence counsel, Sani, said his client would appeal the verdict.