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Appeal Court Upholds Death Sentence in Murder of Kebbi Magistrate
A Court of Appeal panel has dismissed the appeal of Farida Abubakar, affirming her death sentence for the murder of her former husband, Chief Magistrate Attahiru Muhammad-Ibrahim.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday, the three-member panel led by Justice Tunde Awotoye ruled that Abubakar’s appeal lacked merit. The court upheld the June 2024 ruling of the Kebbi State High Court, which had convicted and sentenced her to death by hanging.
The prosecution’s case, presented by the Kebbi State Ministry of Justice, relied on 12 witnesses and multiple exhibits. The appellate court found that the evidence, including the application of the “last seen” doctrine, proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
In addition to the capital sentence under Section 191(b) of the Kebbi State Penal Code, the court also affirmed a separate seven-year jail term for causing grievous hurt.
Abubakar’s legal team has now filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the latest judgment.