A Kano State High Court has sentenced a 19-year-old bride, Saudat Jibrin, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of murdering her husband, Salisu Idris, just nine days after their wedding.
Justice Maryam Sabo delivered the judgment on Friday, ruling that the prosecution had proved the charge of culpable homicide beyond reasonable doubt.
According to court proceedings, the incident occurred on May 5, 2025, at Farawa Quarters in Kano. The prosecution, led by Lamido Abba Sorondinki, told the court that Saudat poisoned her 30-year-old husband by lacing his zobo drink with a toxic substance before attacking him with a knife and slashing his throat at about 9 p.m. The victim later died from the injuries.
The prosecution called two witnesses during the trial and charged the defendant under Section 221(a) of the Penal Code, which prescribes the death penalty for culpable homicide punishable by death.
In her defence, Saudat denied the allegations. Her counsel, Abdulfatah Muhammad, appealed to the court for leniency, arguing that the teenager had become reformed while in custody. He informed the court that she had memorised the Holy Qur’an during her detention and was the eldest child in her family, with younger siblings depending on her.
Justice Sabo, however, held that the evidence presented by the prosecution established the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced her to death by hanging.
The court also informed the convict of her constitutional right to appeal the judgment within 90 days.
Reacting to the verdict, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude (SAN), described the conviction as a significant milestone in the state’s criminal justice system.
