By Mustapha Usman
A Kano State High Court, sitting at Mila Road, on Tuesday, ruled that Rahma Hussein, a lady accused of killing her husband, be detained at governor’s pleasure after having been found guilty of the offence.
Mrs Hussein’s travails began in 2015 when she allegedly stabbed her husband, Tijjani Basiru to death, at Darmanawa area in Tarauni Local Government, less than a week after their wedding.
The 19-year-old, who was then charged to court for culpable homicide, kept pleading not guilty of the said offence throughout the proceedings that lasted for 3 years.
At last, Mrs Hussein pleaded guilty to offence. However, the accused tendered before the court that she committed the said offence when she was 16 years old.
Therefore, satisfied by this evidence, the presiding judge, RA Sadiq, cited section 270 of Criminal Procedure Court of Northern Nigeria, stating that a court shall not pass death sentence on a pregnant woman or a person below 17 years.
He explained that section 272 (1) of that same procedure states that if an accused is below 17 years, he/she shall be detained at a governor’s pleasure.
Mr Sadiq, however, explained that section 272 (3), confers the governor the power to determine the custody of an accused that is under 17 years.
“Hence, Rahma Hussein shall be at the pleasure of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. He is the one to determine where to keep her, wherever he wishes – at school, home, or even government house.
“However, the governor could withdraw that mercy in the event the accused signals bad behaviour or dubious attitudes,” the judge said.
In his reaction, the Rahma’s Defence Counsel, Umar Danbaito, expressed delight over the judgement. He also commended the judge for depending on the aforementioned sections to pass the judgement.
Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel, Lamido Sorondinki, said he would contact the state’s Attorney General, Ibrahim Umar, for next line of action.
