By Sola Ojewusi
A woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl has been executed by firing squad in , a semi-autonomous region of , in a rare instance where the death penalty has been carried out against a woman.
The execution took place on Tuesday in , following the conviction of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for the killing of Saabirin Saylaan, a teenage domestic helper. The court found that the girl died after enduring sustained physical abuse while living in the woman’s household.
Saabirin’s death in November last year sparked widespread public outrage and protests in Galkayo, with demonstrators—many of them women and youths—demanding justice and stronger protection for children and domestic workers. Placards reading “Justice for Saabirin” were carried during marches that drew attention to the broader problem of child abuse, which activists say often goes unreported, especially within extended family settings.
Puntland authorities said the execution was carried out under qisas, an Islamic legal principle that allows the family of a murder victim to demand the death penalty instead of accepting financial compensation. A regional decree in Mudug, where the crime occurred, mandates the application of Islamic law in such cases.
According to Mudug State Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali, members of both the victim’s family and the convict’s family were present during the execution. Officials also confirmed that this was the first time in more than a decade that a woman had been executed under a retaliatory sentence in Puntland.
Investigators revealed that Saabirin, who had been orphaned at a very young age, had lived with the accused for about two months before her death. Police said evidence obtained during the investigation, including material found on the suspect’s phone, showed a pattern of repeated abuse. Some of these materials were later leaked to the public, further fuelling anger and calls for accountability.
In the aftermath of the case, civil society groups, community elders and human rights activists have renewed demands for tougher enforcement of child protection laws and greater oversight of domestic labour arrangements in Somalia.
Observers say the case has become a defining moment in the national conversation on child welfare, justice and the responsibilities of families and authorities to protect vulnerable children.
