Supreme Court To Rule On Hausa Actress Appeal On Her Death Sentence.

The Supreme Court has fixed July 8 to rule on the appeal of popular Hausa film actress, Ms Rabi Ismail, who is challenging the judgment of the Court of Appeal Kano Division that convicted and sentenced her to death by hanging.

The appellate court had upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Kano that the actress has to die by hanging for drugging and drowning her man-friend, Auwalu Ibrahim, on or about December 25, 2002 in a dam in Kano State in order to acquire the deceased's property.

Rabi has appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court, claiming that the lower court relied on evidence with so many gaps and doubt.

While adopting his brief of arguments, appellant's lawyer, Tawo E. Tawo, said the statements of the two witnesses of the respondent contradict each other.

“The trial court relied on oral confessional statement to give its judgment. I urge the apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the decision of the lower court, discharge and acquit the appellant,” Tawo said.

But the Attorney General of Kano State, Mr. Umar Aliyu and his Director of Public prosecution, Shuaibu Sule, said the statements of prosecution witnesses are strict accounts of what happened at the hotel and at the dam where the deceased was last seen with the appellant.

The Supreme Court adjourned till July 8, 2011 to deliver judgment on the appeal.

Rabi was arraigned before the High Court Kano in 2002 and charged with offence of culpable homicide contrary to section 221(b) of the Penal Code.

The prosecution said Rabi drugged Auwalu Ibrahim (alias Zazu) by giving him a doped Éclairs sweet as a result of which the deceased lost consciousness,