A housewife named Amina Aliyu and her sister Aishat Mohammed were sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court in Minna, Niger State, after they were found guilty of the heinous murder of Amina’s co-wife, Hafsat Fatima Aliyu.
The two ladies plotted to kill Hafsat in the horrifying crime that occurred in March 2021 at the family home in Barkin Saleh, a Minna suburb.
According to what the court heard, Hafsat was in the kitchen when the accused struck her in the head from behind with a pestle. The two then attempted to arrange the death as an accident by setting the deceased’s body on fire in an effort to hide the crime.
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During a trial that spanned three years, four witnesses were called to testify, including Sani Aliyu, the deceased’s husband, who recounted how Amina and her sisters plotted and carried out the murder.
Justice Balkisu Gambo Yusuf of the Minna High Court 7 delivered the verdict, emphasizing that the prosecution had proven the charges of murder beyond a reasonable doubt. In her ruling, she stated, “The punishment for culpable homicide under Section 221 of the Penal Code is death.”
However, the court showed leniency towards Zainab, the youngest sister involved in the crime. Zainab, who was a minor at the time of the murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. Her defense lawyer, Peter Omale, had argued for a reduced sentence, citing her youth at the time of the offense. Justice Yusuf acknowledged that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) of 2021, those under 18 are excluded from facing the death penalty.
The case, which has shocked the local community, underscores the severity of domestic violence and the legal system’s commitment to justice in cases of brutal crimes.
