On Wednesday, January 16, a Minna High Court in Niger State sentenced Amina Aliyu and her sister, Aishat Mohammed, to death by hanging for the savage killing of her co-wife, Hafsat Fatima Aliyu (shown).
The youngest sibling, Zainab, was sentenced to life in jail due to her age at the time of the crime.
Amina and Aishat were convicted of murdering Hafsat, Alhaji Muhammad Sani’s second wife.
According to LIB, the incident occurred in March 2021 in the deceased’s family residence in Barkin Saleh, Minna, around seven weeks after his marriage to Alhaji Sani.
According to the prosecution, Aishat attacked Hafsat with a pestle before setting fire to her body in the kitchen.
The trial began in Minna Chief Magistrate Court Number One before moving to the High Court.
During the three-year process, four witnesses testified, including Sani, who described how Amina called Hafsat.
Justice Balkisu Gambo Yusuf of Minna High Court 7 confirmed the prosecution had proven its case beyond doubt, stating, “The punishment for culpable homicide under Section 221 of the Penal Code is death.”
Peter Omale, Zainab’s defence counsel, pleaded for leniency, citing her status as a minor at the time of the incident.
Justice Yusuf concurred, ruling, “As of 2021, when the offence was committed, the ACJA excluded anyone below 18 from facing the death penalty.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli