Two sisters, Amina Aliyu and Aishat Mohammed Aliyu, have been sentenced to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Hafsat Aliyu, a married woman, in Niger State.
A third sister, Zainab, was spared the death penalty and sentenced to life in prison due to her age at the time of the crime.
The crime occurred in March 2021 at the family residence in Barkin Saleh, Minna.
According to court records, Hafsat, Amina Aliyu's co-wife, was attacked with a mortar by Aishat before her body was set on fire in the kitchen.
Hafsat was married to Alhaji Muhammad Sani, who testified as one of the key witnesses during the trial.
The trial, which began at Minna Magistrate's Court Number One, was later transferred to the High Court. Over more than three years, four witnesses, including Sani, presented testimony that solidified the prosecution's case.
Judge Balkisu Gambo Yusuf of Minna High Court 7 handed down the sentence and stated: “The penalty for culpable homicide under Article 221 of the Penal Code is death.”
Defense lawyer Peter Omale asked for leniency for Zainab, stating that she was a minor at the time of the crime.
Judge Yusuf acknowledged this, noting: “As of 2021, when the crime was committed, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) excluded anyone under the age of 18 from facing the death penalty.” Consequently, Zainab was sentenced to life imprisonment.