• Maryam was charged in November 2017 for stabbing her husband to death
• She pleaded not guilty, insisting he slipped and fell on a broken shisha pot
• She was sentenced to death by hanging today, 27 January 2020.

In November 2017, the police charged Mrs Sanda for a crime worthy homicide and solicited for a death penalty against the accused on a two-counts charge.

According to the charges, Sanda was said to have stabbed her husband with broken bottles at about 3:50 am; an act which the police had informed the court was premeditated and had led to her husband’s death.

But Sanda who was initially remanded in custody and has appeared in court several times has repeatedly pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Despite pleading not guilty to the crime, a court sitting in Abuja has earlier today, the 27th of January, 2020 sentenced the accused to death by hanging.

This case has been dragged in court from November 2017 up until today, the 20th of January, 2020; that is 2years and 2months.

Timeline of Maryam’s arrest and sentence

Here is a quick rundown of all that has ensued following the death of Bilyaminu – who happened to be the son of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Haliru Bello.

• On the 23rd of November 2017: the police filed charges of murder against Maryam Sanda.
• On the 24th of November 2017: the court sends the accused to the correctional facility after refusing to grant her bail application.
• On the 7th of December 2017: the court again refuses an oral application for her bail and orders for her return to the correctional facility pending her re-arraignment.
• On the 14th of December, 2017: the court again refuses and dismisses Sanda’s bail but grants bail to her three co-defendants.
• On the 7th of February, 2018: the court strikes out another bail application made on her behalf.
• On the 7th of March, 2018: Sanda is finally granted bail on health grounds.
• On the 19th of March 2018:  a prosecution witness in Sanda trial disappears after arriving in court.
• On the 19th of April, 2018: Witness narrates how Maryam Sanda allegedly made several attempts to stab her husband before his eventual murder.
• On the 15th of May, 2018: Sanda’s trial is stalled.
• On the 3rd of October, 2018: the lawyer representing Sanda withdraws from her trial.
• On the 23rd of January, 2019: Sanda reveals in a statement that some nude pictures on her husband’s phone led to the fight that eventually led to his death.
• On the 27th of February, 2019: the court fixes the date for the final address.
• On the 26th of March, 2019: the court fixes a date to rule on the no-case submission filed by the accused.

• On the 4th of April, 2019: the court said Sanda has a case to answer.
• On the 6th of October, 2019: Sanda opens her defense.
• On the 27th of January, 2020: the court convicts Sanda and sentences her to death by hanging.

Justice Yusuf Halilu sentenced Sanda to death after convicting her of stabbing Bilyaminu to death, however, she could appeal this court ruling.

Read also: Breaking News: Woman arrested for allegedly stabbing her husband to death.

As expected, upon her conviction by the judge, Sanda broke down in tears and wept uncontrollably.

In another report, we confirmed that the police recently arrested a woman in Katsina State for allegedly stabbing her husband to death with a knife.