Presiding Judge, Justice Steven Adah held that it was not in doubt that the Maryam killed her husband, adding that she has no reason to set aside the judgement that convicted her of murder.

In a judgment delivered on January 27, 2020, Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory had held that circumstantial evidence proved that Maryam “fatally” stabbed her husband to death. 

Based on the evidence before the court, the mother of two was sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband.

But on February 19, 2020, Maryam filed a 20-ground notice of appeal, praying for an order discharging, and acquitting her.

She argued that she was denied her right to fair hearing, adding that the judgment that convicted her was tainted by bias and prejudices.

However, the appeal court on Friday held that the circumstance surrounding Bello’s death could be ruled as premeditated murder. The court ruled that there was evidence that Maryam stabbed her husband to death after seeing a nude picture on his phone.