The Supreme Court has ordered the State to pay GH¢500,000 in compensation to Abu Shaibu, a man who spent nearly 24 years on death row before his murder conviction was overturned.
According to Yen, the decision in Abu Shaibu v. The Republic (2026) GHASC 79 was delivered on 24 June 2026. The judgment was written by Justice Gaewu and endorsed by four other justices.
Shaibu was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and murder by a High Court in Tamale on 26 March 2001 and sentenced to death. He sought leave to appeal in June 2022, and on 30 January 2025 the Court of Appeal allowed his appeal on all three grounds, finding the circumstantial evidence fell short of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
It set aside both convictions, vacated the death sentence and acquitted and discharged him.
Under Article 14(7) of the 1992 Constitution, Shaibu sought GH¢2,864,000 across seven heads of claim, including loss of freedom and lost earnings. The State did not dispute that he was entitled to compensation but argued the sum was excessive and proposed GH¢500,000.
The court agreed with the State's figure. It found that Shaibu's delay of about 21 years in challenging his conviction contributed significantly to the length of his incarceration, and that his financial claims were not supported by documents. It applied the framework in Dodzie Sabbah v. the Republic (2015).
The five-member panel ordered the GH¢500,000 as full and final compensation and said such awards are discretionary. The reports did not say when the money will be paid.